One of the severest and most overlooked atrocities in the world is that which happens to children born into families of child abusers. Such children have no control over the shameful environment into which they are introduced at birth. As a result, they often grow and mature to be the same type of adults as were their parents. This cycle must be broken. Although some argue that compulsory contraception, for any reason, is a violation of individuals' rights, it should be mandatory for child abusers because such persons hurt not only themselves, but innocent and helpless children as well.
Those opposed to mandated birth control contend that some methods of contraception are not entirely safe and that forcing the offender constantly to repeat a procedure that was not wanted in the first place is both degrading and morally wrong. While it is true to a certain extent that some forms of contraception are considered not wholly safe or reliable (for example, long-acting injectable progestins) there are many new forms of contraception that cause hardly any side effects and are very reliable; but it should be known that long-acting injectable progestins produce "[r]elatively low incidence of significant side effects, except for menstrual disturbances" (Covington and McClendon 165), and allow "less than 1.0 pregnancy per 100 woman-years" (Covington and McClendon 164). The newest, most effective method of contra- ception, Norplant, is up to "99.8 percent effective" (Findlay 59), lasts for five years, and is safe except for some minor side effects such as headaches and irregular menstrual cycles, although regularity often returns over time (Lewin A26). There are a variety of long lasting contraceptive methods that may be used in case one method is unpleasant, so morality and degragation are not really a factor.
Another, and far more heated, argument against compulsory contraception is that it constitutes infringement of a person's individual rights. Those opposed assert that mandating contraception is a violation of constitutional rights and that educating the offenders is the best route to follow in correcting the problem. As to the rights of child abusers, they are insignificant compared to the rights of the innocent children who are their victims. The rights of children born into abusive conditions should be considered first and foremost, for they have no control over the cruel environment which envelops them at birth. The abuse these children receive often leaves them physically, emotionally, and psychologically scarred. A cruel but accurate analogy is that abuse affects the lives touched by its passing like the hand of pestilence affects flesh. What measures can be taken to stop such disease?
The usual format when abuse is suspected is to send the involved parties to a state hearing, which ultimately decides if abuse is taking place. The problem is that these courts have too little power to be effective, for their options in sentencing are limited. The usual options are criminal prosecution and/or education, but these methods have proved to be ineffective (Edelman 204). Thus, improved methods are needed to secure children's overall welfare, "not to create a total parity of rights for children . . . [but to] extend some adult rights and improve government programs so that children will be assured protection and dignity and the chance to develop their maximum potential" (Edelman 203-4).
Still another benefit of compulsory contraception is that it stops the revolving cycle of abuse "dead in its tracks." If the offenders cannot have any more children, they cannot teach their painful habits to the next generation, and so the cycle can be broken. At present, the revolving cycle of abuse occurs frequently throughout the U.S.; even children who recognize the problem and swear to themselves that they will never be like their parent(s) often grow up and have children which they eventually abuse. Such cycles are extremely difficult to break.
The most obvious benefit from compulsory contraception, besides helping the children involved, is that it is also helpful in controlling the rapid growth of the population. Population control in and of itself is an important issue that needs to be addressed. As Dr. Robert A. Baron, a noted psychologist, puts it:
Think of it: two billion (2,000,000,000) more people now inhabit the planet than was true less than half a lifetime ago. At present, the human population is growing at slightly less than 2 percent per year. That may not sound like much, but what it means is that our numbers will double in only forty years. And then they will double again, and again. . . . Needless to say, the capacity of the earth to support ten, twenty, or even forty billion human beings is doubtful, so something will probably happen to slow this growth somewhere along the curve. The hope, of course, is that this "something" will be conscious decisions by human beings to limit population growth before it is too late. The alternatives--mass starvation, epidemics of diseases perhaps as yet unknown--are too frightening to contemplate. (McKibben 661)
While it is plain that some specific standards and stipulations should be developed to control the use of anything compulsory, the rights of everyone involved should be the basis for these standards. Although rights activists claim that mothers' rights are violated--which is true to a degree, as Howard Broadman, a California judge who has sentenced a woman to use Norplant, assessed the situation in an interview with Janice Castro--invoking compulsory contraception balances the rights of the mother "against the rights of her children" (12). Broadman also assessed the job of our courts, asserting that courts are designed to "balance one right against another" (Castro 12), so it is moral and logical that those same courts should have the ability to make a difference when offenses against children have been established.
In addition to helping the children who are victims to senseless abuse, compulsory contraception could conceivably help the abusers as well; there are a number of possible ways in which this could happen. First, the abusers could see the severity of the malevolent acts which they commit, and so might refrain from abuse altogether. More conceivably, with the use of long-lasting but reversible contraception such as Norplant or long-acting injectable progestins, the offender could receive professional help and use the return of children/childbearing abilities as a long-term goal for which to strive. Any psychology professor can confirm that people do better at their endeavors when striving for specific goals. There are many other possibilities for positive effects which stem from compulsory contraception, but again, the main purpose should be to help the innocent victims.
In sum, although there are numerous conflicts concerning compulsory contraception, including safety factors and moral/rights issues, the benefits drastically outweigh any detriment. The victims are the children, and children are the literal embodiment of the future; we can all agree to that much. In essence, the ultimate victim is society, for what contribution will such persons, filled with poisons wrongly injected and beaten into them as children, be able to contribute to society? No one can honestly answer that question, but the chances of such children becoming productive members of society are slim at best. The methods that have been attempted in combating abuse have proven ineffective. Therefore, it is imperative that action be taken immediately; compulsory contraception should be mandated for child abusers, along with a carefully structured guideline depicting the use of such measures. Save the children! Save the future!
Works Cited
Baron, Robert A. Psychology. 2nd ed. New York: Allyn & Bacon,1992.
Castro, Janice. "A Judge Whose Ideas Nearly Got Him Killed." Time 9 Mar. 1992: 12.
Covington, Timothy R., and J. Frank McClendon. Sexcare. NewYork: Pocket Book, 1987.
Findlay, Steven. "Birth Control." U.S. News & World Report Dec. 1990: 58-64.
Edelman, Peter. "The Children's Rights Movement." TheChildren's Rights Movement. Eds. Beatrice and RonaldGross. New York: AnchorPress/Doubleday, 1977.
Lewin, Tamar. "5-Year Contraceptive Implant Seems Headed for Wide Use." New York Times 29 Nov. 1991: A1:1-2, A26: 1-5