REVIEWS   

Minerva Psichiatrica 2016 June;57(2):72-81

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

The development of children of same-sex couples: review of international literature and Italian perspective

Sofia MISURACA ¹, Laura ANTONACI ¹, Flavia COSTANTINI ¹, Valeria MILONE ¹, Caterina PIEDIMONTE ¹, Mariella STANCA ¹, Raffaella RINALDI ²

¹ Department of Pediatrics and Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; ² Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, School of Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

The aim of the present study was to review international data present in scientific literature about the development and psychological well-being of children of same-sex couples and to highlight the legal situation of these families in Italy, now that the European Union is requiring their legal recognition. The results of a revision of the literature published in the last 30 years demonstrate that there are no statistically significant differences between children raised by same-sex and heterosexual couples when it comes to their development profile. Studies focusing on the relationships with parents and peers, psycho-socioemotional welfare and cognitive development, school proficiency, sexual orientation and gender identity of children of same-sex couples are reviewed. Methodological weaknesses are presented, with suggestions for further research into this area.