Father-child attachment in adoptive gay father families

McConnachie, A.L. and Ayed, N. and Jadva, V. and Lamb, M. and Tasker, Fiona and Golombok, S. (2019) Father-child attachment in adoptive gay father families. Attachment & Human Development 22 (1), pp. 110-123. ISSN 1461-6734.

Abstract

Findings are presented from the second phase of an investigation of the attachment security of children in adoptive gay father families. Children (10-14 years) in 30 gay father families, 29 lesbian mother families and 38 heterosexual parent families were interviewed using the Friends and Family Interview (FFI). Children in gay father families showed significantly higher levels of secure-autonomous attachment than children in heterosexual parent families, significantly lower levels of preoccupied attachment than children in either lesbian mother or heterosexual parent families, and significantly lower levels of disorganised attachment than children in heterosexual parent families. For children in gay father families, stepwise multiple regression revealed that neither hyperactivity nor emotional symptoms at Phase 1 were predictive of disorganisation at Phase 2. However, when entered alone, Phase 1 emotional symptoms predicted Phase 2 disorganisation. The results indicate that adopted children in gay father families are at least as likely to be securely attached as children in lesbian mother or heterosexual parent families.

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