Opgroeien bij lesbische ouders of in een eenoudergezin geen risicofactor voor probleemgedrag, opgroeien als adoptiekind wel

– Modern reproductive techniques and alternative family structures (with single or homosexual parents and adoption situations) raise questions about the consequences for the growing children involved.

– Genetic links appear to be less important for the functioning of a family than a strong wish for parenthood; parents who have become parents only through great efforts display a better quality of parenthood than average natural parents. Characteristics of the parentparents, such as paedagogic qualities, and the quality of the parent-child relationship appear more important than the type of family.

– Published results of research reveal no reason why lesbian families should be judged differently from heterosexual ones as family types for the raising of children.

– The main negative factor for the functioning of the child growing up in a single-parent family is the marriage conflicts that have led to the single-parent situation; being raised by a single parent in itself has no adverse effect.

– Raising adopted children from other countries makes far greater demands on the adoptive parents than parents of biological children have to meet. The raising of a foreign adopted child by a single parent entails additional risks for the child's development.

– Data on the development of children in alternative family structures frequently concern exceptionally competent parents, which may have flattered the findings.