Effects of One Child Policy in China

The one-child policy in China forces families to only have one child by using harsh treatments such as undocumented children, forced abortions, and fines. The policy affects the elderly, economy, education levels, personality of children and the value of girls in China. Deng Xiaoping, a Chinese leader, created the one-child policy in 1979 in order to limit population growth of the Han Chinese. The policy takes away couples’ rights to have more than one child. Why does the government have to issue such harsh punishments to the breakers of the policy?
In the article, “China’s One-child Policy’s Human Cost Fuels Calls for Reform,” Branigan discusses undocumented children and the burden they hold on their family. The family has to pay fines to keep the child. Undocumented children don’t have a birth certificate and come with many cons. They aren’t able to do things others are such as go to school, have insurance, buy medicine, and so on (Branigan). China’s government indirectly forces the citizens to not have a second child, to avoid having an undocumented child or paying fines. The punishments of having the second child makes families scared to break the policy.
Forced abortions are another reason families decided not to have a second child. Branigan states that, “forced abortions and sterilizations are illegal,” in the article “China’s One- child Policy’s Human Cost Fuels Calls for Reform” (Branigan). Though forced abortions are illegal, according to “China’s One- Child Policy Turns 33 as Forced Abortions, Female Infanticides Continue,” forced abortions can happen up to the ninth month pregnancy, be extremely violent, and possible kill both the mother and baby (Ertelt). The government administers forced abortions to make the idea...

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...ffects China with the increased education level across the country because the parents spend all their money and time on one kid, and China earns more money through education because they can charge more for an education.
The government has to issue harsh punishments to people who break the policy to enforce the policy to the other citizens. If the citizens that broke policy rules weren’t severely punished, everyone would decide to have the second child, even though it went against the government. The Chinese government uses harsh treatments such as undocumented children, fines, and forced abortions to enforce the one- child policy in China. The elderly, economy, and the value of girls are hurt by the one-child policy. More recently China has eased up on the policy and changed it to a two-child policy. Will the policy help the elderly, economy, and girls in China?