Abstract
The impact of peer microaggressions and the child–teacher relationship on the social skills of children with sexual minority parents has received little attention. The current study used a mixed-method, multi-informant, two-wave longitudinal design to address this research gap. Thirty-seven children of lesbian mothers through donor insemination and 33 children of gay fathers though surrogacy (wave 1: Mage = 8.3 years, SD = 1.6; 51.4% female; wave 2: Mage = 9.9 years, SD = 1.7), all school-aged and residing in Italy, participated together with their 140 parents and 55 teachers. Approximately two-thirds of the children reported at least one peer microaggression and, on average, microaggressions were of a low intensity. Child–teacher relationships were of high quality (i.e., characterized by high safe haven–seeking and secure base use, and low conflict). Both parents and teachers reported high levels of child social skills. However, more intense W1 microaggressions predicted lower W2 social skills among children reporting a lower W1 child–teacher relationship quality, and greater W2 social skills among those reporting a higher W1 child–teacher relationship quality. These results support the child–teacher relationship as a potentially secure context in which children can “mentalize” negative experiences such as microaggressions and improve their social skills. In this vein, considering microaggression, attachment, and developmental intergroup theories, teachers must attune to the school experiences of children with sexual minority parents and cultivate caring classroom environments that are sensitive to family diversity.
Highlights
In the elementary school setting, children of sexual minority parents through assisted reproduction are at significant risk of experiencing peer microaggressions—a form of implicitThese authors contributed : Nicola Carone, Eleonora InnocenziJournal of Youth and Adolescence (2022) 51:1210–1229Very little is known about both the peer microaggression experiences of children of sexual minority parents through assisted reproduction and the role of child–teacher relationship quality in reducing or amplifying the negative impact of these microaggressions on children’s social relationships with peers in the school setting
The current study drew on microaggression (Sue & Spanierman 2020), attachment (Bowlby 1988, Verschueren 2015), and developmental intergroup (Bigler & Liben 2006) theories to longitudinally investigate the moderating role of child–teacher relationship quality in the association between experiences of microaggression and social skills among school-age children of lesbian mothers through donor insemination and gay fathers through surrogacy in Italy
Participants were 37 lesbian mother families formed through donor insemination (n = 74 parents and 37 children) and 33 gay father families formed through surrogacy (n = 66 parents and 33 children), all with a child aged 6–12 years at W1 and 7.6–13.6 years at W2, and residing in Italy
Summary
In the elementary school setting, children of sexual minority parents through assisted reproduction are at significant risk of experiencing peer microaggressions—a form of implicitThese authors contributed : Nicola Carone, Eleonora InnocenziJournal of Youth and Adolescence (2022) 51:1210–1229Very little is known about both the peer microaggression experiences of children of sexual minority parents through assisted reproduction and the role of child–teacher relationship quality in reducing or amplifying the negative impact of these microaggressions on children’s social relationships with peers in the school setting. In the elementary school setting, children of sexual minority parents through assisted reproduction are at significant risk of experiencing peer microaggressions—a form of implicit. These authors contributed : Nicola Carone, Eleonora Innocenzi. The results contribute to the growing body of evidence indicating that experiences of microaggression, especially when chronic and long-term, can be detrimental for child psychosocial adjustment (Bos et al 2021, Carone et al 2018, Carone et al 2021a, Farr et al 2016a, Farr et al 2016b) They call teachers to cultivate caring classroom environments that are sensitive to family diversity. Since coparenting arrangements do not generally represent a preferred path to parenthood, most Italian sexual minority couples who desire children must turn to cross-border reproductive services in countries where donor insemination and surrogacy are offered to non-residents, irrespective of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status (Carone et al 2017a, Lingiardi & Carone 2016a, Lingiardi & Carone 2016b, Lingiardi et al 2016)
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