Planned gay father families in kinship arrangements

The current study examined whether there are differences between gay father families (n = 36) and heterosexual families (n = 36) on father–child relationship, fathers' experiences of parental stress and children's wellbeing. The gay fathers in this study all became parents while in same-sex relationships. They donated sperm to lesbian couples and then shared the child-rearing with them in kinship arrangements. It was also examined whether aspects that are related specifically to gay fathers (i.e., experiences of rejection, having to defend their family situation, with whom the children live, and conflicts with the children's mothers) are also related to the father–child relationship, parental stress and children's wellbeing. Data were collected by means of questionnaires filled in by the fathers. No significant differences between the family types were found on emotional involvement and parental concern in the father–child relationship, parental burden (as an aspect of parental stress) or the children's wellbeing. However, gay fathers felt less competent in their child-rearing role than heterosexual fathers. For gay fathers especially, experiences of rejection and the feeling that they have to defend their situation were significantly related to father–child relationship, parental stress and children's wellbeing.

本研究聚焦于计划生育的同性恋父亲家庭这一相对较新的现象，探讨其父亲与孩子的关系、养育压力的体验以及孩子的心理健康状况，并与异性恋父亲家庭进行对比。同时，研究还关注计划生育同性恋父亲家庭的独特处境，例如因社会污名化身份而经历的压力、需要捍卫其家庭地位的情况、孩子的居住安排以及与孩子母亲在养育问题上的潜在冲突，这些因素如何影响父亲与孩子的关系、养育压力以及孩子的心理健康。研究背景基于荷兰这一相对对同性恋群体友好的环境，探讨在这种特殊社会和法律情境下，同性恋父亲通过亲属关系安排成为父亲的现实与挑战。

本研究采用问卷调查法，分别招募计划生育的同性恋父亲和异性恋父亲参与者。同性恋父亲通过荷兰同性恋与双亲权益组织的邮件列表招募，需满足生物学父亲身份、目标孩子年龄为4至12岁、并从出生起在当前同性关系中抚养孩子等条件；最终36位符合条件的同性恋父亲完成问卷。异性恋父亲则通过其孩子的学校招募，并按照同性恋父亲的目标孩子数量、性别与年龄进行匹配，最终选取36位异性恋父亲完成问卷。两组参与者在目标孩子的性别、年龄及家庭孩子数量上成功匹配，但在居住地、教育水平、年龄、伴侣关系持续时间和每周工作时间上存在显著差异。

本研究比较了男同性恋家庭（n = 36）与异性恋家庭（n = 36）在父子关系、父亲对养育压力的感受以及孩子幸福感方面的差异。参与研究的男同性恋父亲均在同性关系中成为家长，通过向女同性恋伴侣捐赠精子，与其共同承担亲属关系中的育儿责任。研究还进一步探讨了男同性恋父亲特有的一些情境因素（如被拒绝的经历、捍卫家庭合法性的位置、孩子的居住安排以及与孩子母亲的冲突）是否与父子关系、养育压力和孩子的幸福感存在关联。 数据通过父亲填写问卷收集。结果显示，在父子关系中的情感参与、父亲对孩子的关注、养育负担（作为养育压力的一方面）以及孩子幸福感方面，家庭类型之间未发现显著差异。然而，与异性恋父亲相比，同性恋父亲对自身养育能力的评价显著较低。尤其值得注意的是，对于同性恋父亲而言，被拒绝的经历以及必须捍卫家庭的处境，与父子关系质量、养育压力和孩子的幸福感密切相关。