Learning that an adolescent child is gay or lesbian: the parent experience.

Publisher: Oxford University Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 2984852R Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 0037-8046 (Print) Linking ISSN: 00378046 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Soc Work Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: <2012-> : Cary, NC : Oxford University Press
Original Publication: New York : National Association of Social Workers

Adaptation, Psychological* ; Disclosure* ; Homosexuality* ; Parent-Child Relations*; Parents/*psychology; Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; New England ; Parenting ; Qualitative Research ; Social Work

Increasing numbers of adolescents are disclosing their sexual orientation to parents at an earlier stage of the family life cycle than their predecessors. Although we know that parents are coexperiencing the range of difficulties reflected in reports of gay and lesbian youths after disclosure, there is a paucity of investigative research exploring the parents' side of adolescent disclosure. The precarious nature of adolescence places these parents in a different set of circumstances than parents of gay adults. This article draws from a study that examined the parent experience at the adolescent stage of the family life cycle. The study explored the meaning parents ascribe to learning that an adolescent is gay or lesbian, how adolescent disclosure affects the solidarity of the parent-child relationship, and what interventions support healthy parent adjustment. Implications for competent social work practice with parents of gay and lesbian adolescents are addressed.

Date Created: 20040218 Date Completed: 20040302 Latest Revision: 20191026

20231215

10.1093/sw/49.1.109

14964523