preview

Raising A Child Is A Good Or Bad Reaction

Better Essays

As most parents know, raising a child can be extremely difficult. However, raising a child who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning (LGBTQ) can be especially trying for many different reasons. There are many things that these parents have to deal with that most parents do not. One of the most difficult times for not only the parent of an LGBTQ child, but for the kid as well, is when the child comes out. This topic is very important in the field of family studies because, when a child comes out to his or her parents, the whole family is involved. The parent’s reaction can have a significant effect on the child, whether it is a good or bad reaction. This is an important topic to study because both parents …show more content…

The parents should be cautious and think through what to say to their child before speaking, because anything said could have a big impact on the adolescent. One example of a negative reaction an adolescent might get is the parents denying their child’s sexuality. Some parents, as a way of coping, will think that it is a stage that the child will grow out of, or that the child came out just to get a reaction from the parents. In these cases, the son or daughter might feel the need to come out a second time. Denes and Afifi (2014) found that nearly a quarter of the participants in their study came out to their parents a second time. The reason most of the participants chose to come out again was because their parents denied their sexuality. Most participants who received a negative reaction to their coming out were more likely to come out again. This was because the child wanted to assert their identities, and prove that this is whom the adolescent really is. The child also wanted to share information with their parents about their LGBTQ lifestyle. The reaction given by the parents can also have an effect on how the LGBTQ child sees others in this community. D’amico, Julien, Tremblay, and Chartrand (2015) found that the more the parents had difficulties coming to terms with their child’s sexual orientation, the more the adolescent expressed negative views toward gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. The child internalized the parents prejudice against those in

Get Access