School social work and early childhood student's attitudes toward gay and lesbian families

Abstract

The present study assessed the attitudes of school professionals in training at an American university toward homosexuality and their comfort, action-related disposition, and preparation to work with gay and lesbian (GL) families and their children. Fifty-nine students specializing in birth through kindergarten education and school social work participated in the study. Overall, participants held positive attitudes toward homosexuality, felt prepared to work with this population, and were willing to take action on the issue. Nevertheless, the overall comfort in working with GL parents on a personal basis was low. The implications of these findings for the fields of early childhood and school social work higher education and in research are discussed.

Keywords:

• homosexuality
• gay
• lesbian
• education
• social work