lesbian relationships

[Becky Bolen <bbolen@xxxxxx>]

To add on to Lisa Fontes' comments about lesbian relationships, my
reanalysis of Diana Russell's community prevalence study of women found
that children living in female only households (when the mother did not
work) had by far the least risk of sexual abuse. About 13% of these girls
were sexually abused, which is rather remarkable considering that 38% of
her sample overall was abused. Indeed, of all the cohorts I looked at
(race, education of parents, generation, religion, household structure, and
maternal employment), this was the cohort with the lowest percentage of
abuse. 

Risk increased for these children, however, when their mothers worked.
Perhaps this was because their mothers could not afford appropriate day
care arrangements. Conversely, over 30% of children who lived with their
natural mother and father (when the mother did not work) were sexually
abused. Risk also increased for this group when the mother worked. This
study suggests that female only households may instead be conceptualized as
strong buffers to abuse risk for female children.

One lingering question I have about this analysis is what its implications
are for our welfare reforms that are pushing mothers back into the work
force without providing them adequate access to safe child care.

Becky Bolen




> I am researching the effects on children (female) between the ages of 6 and
> 10 years old in custody of their mothers who are in a live-in lesbian
> relationship.  Can anyone help me find or direct me leading to information
> or web sites on the effects of female children in this environment?
> Thank you,
> Claude LeBlanc RSW
> claude.leblanc@gnb.ca