Does Abortion Reduce Child Abuse?

In their defense of abortion, pro-choice advocates have made many promises and claims about it’s positive effects. Among these has been the assertion that abortion reduces child abuse.

Now, other people here have already commented on how abortion is a form of lethal abuse, but even if we accept the premise that abortion does not constitute a heinous form of child abuse in and of itself, the question remains, does abortion actually reduce the abuse of post-natal children anyway?

Like many of the promises made about abortion, the theory that abortion will decrease child abuse seems reasonable enough. If more children who might end up being abused are terminated by parents who don’t want them, then logically there might be less abuse.

However, there is very little evidence for this in practice. Indeed, an increasing volume of research indicates that abortion may actually contribute to the problem of child abuse, not solve it.

There is no indication that children who are unwanted are necessarily abused anymore than children who are wanted, or that abortion reduces infanticide as a result. Perversely, even after controlling for variables that could influence child abuse, women who obtain abortions are significantly more likely to abuse and neglect their children than women who do not. Abortion is directly associated with significantly more frequent maternal slapping, hitting, kicking, biting, beating, and use of physical punishment in general against one’s children; with legalized abortion and higher abortion rates running parallel to increased child abuse.(1)(2)(3)(4)

The theories given for the observed effect of abortion on child abuse are numerous. Some suggest that it is a result of decreased individual restraint against violence and anger towards those in their care, or diminished social taboo against violence and aggression towards children and the devaluation of children’s lives.

Other evidence has been put forth indicating that this increased child abuse may be a result of increased depression and greater anxiety during future pregnancies as a result of abortion, or that it interferes with developing bonds between the mother and the child. Maternal-child attachment begins very often in pregnancy, and it is quite logical that a disruption in such bonding can hinder the development of attachment, especially since miscarriage and stillbirth have been shown to have similar effects.(5)

Further theories posit that abortion lessens children’s confidence in their parents’ care, breeding hostility, or that abortion increases the hostile frustration of some men and reduces the support of fathers in the family. This theory is further strengthened in my opinion by the adverse effects of abortion on single motherhood and the creation of more fatherless families.(6)(7)

Whether one or a combination of these factors is the driving force behind abortion’s effect on child abuse, or if it is a result of some other influence abortion has upon individuals and society, it is clear that abortion is not helping protect our children at all, but only furthering their abuse.

Abortion cannot keep the promises it’s supporters make. It does not help keep children safe or improve their lives, it only harms and endangers them, both before and long after birth.

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Sources

1. The quality of the caregiving environment and child developmental outcomes associated with maternal history of abortion using the NLSY data Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. September 2002; 43(6):743–757. doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00095. Priscilla K. Coleman; David C. Reardon; Jesse Cougle. Publisher record
2. Relationship Between Induced Abortion and Child Abuse and Neglect: Four Studies Pre- and Peri-natal Psychology Journal. Fall 1993; 8(1):43–63. Philip G. Ney; Tak Fung; Adele Rose Wickett.
3. Induced Abortion and Child-Directed Aggression Among Mothers of Maltreated Children The Internet Journal of Pediatrics and Neonatology. 2007; 6(2). doi:10.5580/18c2. Priscilla K. Coleman; Vincent M. Rue; Catherine T. Coyle; Charles D. Maxey. Publisher article
4. Legalized abortion and the murder of newborns Psychological Reports. June 2005; 96(3 Pt 2):970. doi:10.2466/pr0.96.3c.970-970. David Lester. Publisher record
5. Two hidden predisposing factors in child abuse Child Abuse & Neglect. 1979; 3(1):327–330. doi:10.1016/0145-2134(79)90049-8. Emanuel Lewis. DOI record
6. Relationship between abortion and child abuse The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. November 1979; 24(7):610–620. doi:10.1177/070674377902400705. P. Ney. Publisher record
7. An analysis of out-of-wedlock births in the United States Brookings Policy Brief Series. August 1, 1996. George A. Akerlof; Janet L. Yellen.