Abortion and Child Abuse

I’ve been doing some research lately on the relationship between abortion and child abuse. Some believe, in theory, that legalized abortion should have had the effect of reducing child abuse. The theory goes: “unwanted” children are normally the objects of abuse; if we reduce the number of unwanted children by making abortion available, child abuse will decrease. The data, however, very plainly shows that child abuse has not decreased but increased since abortion was legalized. From 1980 to 1993, the child maltreatment estimates rose 149%, from 625,100 cases to 1,553,800. Since 1993, that number has dropped, leveled off, and remained around 900,000 for the last 10 years. (Go to www.childwelfare.gov to view the statistics yourself). How legalized abortion relates to these numbers is hard to say. Researchers are all over the map on how to analyze the data, since a great number of variables can explain increases and decreases in child abuse rates.

At any rate, as I was doing my research, I came across an article published in 1979 in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry called “Relationship Between Abortion and Child Abuse,” by Dr. Philip Ney. He argued that not only has legalized abortion not reduced child abuse but potentially may do the opposite. In the article, he listed eight possible psychological mechanisms whereby allowing for abortion could increase the likelihood for child abuse on individual and societal levels. They are as follows:

1)      Having an abortion may decrease an individual’s instinctual restraint against the occasional rage felt those dependent on her care.

2)      Allowing infants to die by permissive abortion might diminish the social taboo against aggressing the defenseless. 

3)      By lessening children’s confidence in their parents’ care, abortion may increase the hostility between the generations which may become violent.

4)      By discarding nondefective unborn children wholesale, abortion may devalue children, thus diminishing the importance of caring for children.

5)      When abortion increases guilt and self-hatred, the parent may displace it onto a child.

6)      A woman’s choice for abortion increases the hostile frustration of some men, intensifying the battle of the sexes, for which children are scapegoated.

7)      Abortion of the first pregnancy may truncate the initial developing mother-infant bond, thereby diminishing future mothering capability.

8)      A previous abortion may result in the depression which interferes with the mother’s capacity to bond to her new-born.

Dr. Ney concluded his article with a concern that by “disrupting the primary species-preserving mechanism” (i.e., the nurturing capacity of the womb) abortion could be endangering humanity. Interestingly, a recent study by professors from Bowling Green University found that woman who had a previous abortion were 144% more likely to physically abuse their children. (Go here: http://www.washtimes.com/news/2005/nov/02/20051102-110138-9468r/). Perhaps we are seeing some of Dr. Ney’s theories prove to be true…