Nurture and Nature - Influence of Parents on Childrens...

Influence of Parents on Childrens Sexual Orientation Do parents influence their childrens sexuality? The answer may surprise you: no they do not. It has been found that about 90% of sons of gay fathers are heterosexual (Bailey 124). It was also found that 90% of daughters of lesbian women are also heterosexual (Golombok 4). According to a poll taken by Northwestern University almost 95% of people expect children of homosexual parents to be homosexual themselves (Bailey 125). This popular belief has affected many child custody decisions because of the possibility of the parents molesting the children, or the possibility of the children becoming homosexual themselves. Even if the children becoming†¦show more content†¦Studies of the association of sex hormone levels during adolescence and adulthood have yielded negative results, but there have been some positive results in some prenatal studies (Meyer-Bahlburg 12). It has been found that gay and lesbian families both reinforce and punish homosexual attitudes in their children in about equal numbers (Patterson 3). So then, why do only 10% of the children in these families become homosexual? This question brings up much debate, but the only real answer is still unknown. There are many good theories, but none are yet to be proven. In an estimate of homosexual persons in the United States, it was found that there are more than 20 million, or 10% of the population, homosexuals in America. Is it a coincidence that 10% of Americas population is homosexual, and 10% of the children of homosexual parents become homosexual (Bailey 126)? This point was brought up by Bailey, and it is a very good point, could the results be just a reflection of the entire country? In order to find out, a poll must be taken to find out what percentage of children of heterosexual parents were homosexual. He found out that 9% of the children of heterosexual parents polled were homosexual. This further supported his theory that parent influence does not contain that much weight in whether or not aShow MoreRelatedDiscuss the Nature-Nurture Debate in Relation to Individual Development (M1)2187 Words   |  9 PagesDiscuss the nature-nurture debate in relation to individual development (M1) Evaluate the nature-nurture debate in relation to development of the individual (D1) Over the course of the last century one of the greatest debates in psychology concerns, the basis of behaviour, specifically whether behaviour is innate i.e. genetically controlled, or whether it is learnt through the socio-cultural environment. This is often referred to as the Nature vs. Nurture debate. There are two main arguments onRead MoreNature Versus Nurture Has Been A Big Debate In The Past1433 Words   |  6 Pages Nature versus nurture has been a big debate in the past few years. 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