Biology 103
2002 First Paper
On Serendip

Chemical Castration: The Benefits and Disadvantages Intrinsic to Injecting Male Pedophiliacs with Depo-Provera

Katherine Amlin

Child molestation is a serious problem in the United States. The legal system is lenient with pedophiles, punishing them with insufficiently brief prison sentences that are further abbreviated by the option of parole. Some child molesters are released back into society after serving as little as one fourth of their prison-time (1). Recidivism is extremely high among child molesters; 75% are convicted more than once for sexually abusing young people (6). Pedophiles commit sexual assault for a variety of reasons. Some rape children because of similar instances of abuse in their own childhoods (1). Some view the act of molestation as a way to gain power over another individual (1). Some pedophiles act purely on sexual desires. No matter what causes these heinous criminals to molest children, their crimes are inexcusable. Unfortunately, utilizing prison as a punishment for child molestation creates only a Band-Aid solution for the issue of sexual assault and other resolutions need to be investigated.

Alternative options for the punishment of male pedophiles are being explored in the status quo. Scientists have observed the link between testosterone and aggression and concluded that high levels of testosterone correspond with increased violent and aggressive behavior in men (5). "It is the reason that stallions are high strung and impossible to train, the reason male dogs become vicious and start to bite people. It's why boys take chances and chase girls, why they drive too fast and deliberately start fights. In violent criminals, these tendencies are exaggerated and carried to extremes" (8). In an effort to stop male pedophiles, male child molesters have the option of being chemically castrated in some states. "Chemical castration is a term used to describe treatment with a drug called Depo-Provera that, when given to men, acts on the brain to inhibit hormones that stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone" (2). Depo-Provera is a common birth control pill that containing a synthetic version of the female hormone progesterone. Advocates of chemical castration hope that injections of Depo-Provera will prevent men from molesting children.

However, some experts argue that Depo-Provera is ineffective and will not prevent molestation. Forced castration may have the adverse affect of angering a criminal, increasing his violent tendencies and lead to additional sexual abuse (2). Additionally, Depo-Provera is reversible. Therefore, unless injections are mandatory and monitored, pedophiles will not be "cured" by the drug therapy. The child molester will have renewed sexual fantasies and high levels of testosterone if the injections are discontinued (7). Joseph Frank Smith, a convicted child molester, became an advocate for chemical castration after undergoing the therapy in the 1980s. Smith stopped using the injections in 1989. In 1999, he was convicted for molesting a five-year old girl and immediately returned to prison (3). Depo-Provera also has caused side effects in some men "including depression, fatigue, diabetes, [and] blood clots" (2). Chemical castration may cause some detrimental effects in child molesters.

Regardless, Depo-Provera has been proven to inhibit the abilities of pedophilias to assault children. The progesterone in Depo-Provera counteracts the biological tendencies that lead men to rape children (4). By lowering testosterone, Depo-Provera reduces sex drive (6). Males can have sexual intercourse (7) but do not want to. Depo-Provera also decreases aggressive tendencies by reducing testosterone. "[T]he castrated criminal would be more docile and have a better opportunity to be rehabilitated, educated, and to become a worthwhile citizen" (1). Castration removes the biological and chemical tendencies that are intrinsically linked to the desire to rape in males.

Depo-Provera also reduces recidivism rates. When used as a mandatory condition of parole (6), chemical castration decreases the occurrence of repeat offenses from 75% (6) to 2% (1). Prison is less desirable because it serves no rehabilitative purpose for sexual offenders. Pedophiles who spend time festering in a prison cell are given extensive downtime to concoct new sordid sexual fantasies involving children. These horrific visions are translated into terrifying realities once the criminal comes back into contact with children following his inevitable release from prison (1). Prison simply produces sneakier criminals. Pedophiles do not want to be incarcerated again so they think of new ways to rape children that will avoid detection and future detention (6). Prison increases aggressive tendencies in male pedophiles while chemical castration addresses the root causes of sexual assault and decreases further sexual deviance.

Although chemical castration is not the perfect solution to inhibit child molestation, it discourages sexual assault better than incarceration. Injections of Depo-Provera decrease the aggressive tendencies that lead to rape in males. Castration also discourages sexual fantasies and eradicates sexual obsessions. Pedophiles are reduced to apathetic pacifists. Regulated chemical castration should be encouraged as an alternative to prison for male child molesters in order to stop recidivism and decrease instances of sexual assault.

 

References

1) Castration Works, an article by Susan Feinstein for 212.net regarding the implications of chemical castration on pedophiles.

2) Chemical Castration Law May Backfire, Experts Warn, an article off the ACLU Newswire from September 18, 1996.

3) Convict Who Had Chemical Castration Gets 40 Years For New Sexual Attack, the Roswell Daily Record Online, February 4, 1999.

4) Is Chemical Castration an Acceptable Punishment For Male Sex Offenders, by LaLaurine Hayes for the online database "Sex Crimes, Punishment and Therapy" constructed by students in a Psychology course at California State University Northridge.

5) High Testosterone Levels Linked to Crimes of Sex, Violence, Volume 1 No. 3, 1995, pg. 2.

6) Repeat Sexual Offenders Must Face Chemical Castration, an article
prepared by Crystal Hutchinson, a student at Monroe Community College in New
York State.

7) Chemical Castration: A Strange Cure for Rape, from the Kudzu Monthly, an e-zine popular among the
Southern States.

8)Dr. Robert Girard, in a scientific study on factors that contribute to criminal conduct, in an article by Susan Feinstein chronicling the effects of chemical castration as posted on 212.net.

 

 

Continuing conversation (to contribute your own observations/thoughts, post a comment below) 12/13/2005, from a Reader on the Web I agree with the use of chemical castration, becuase incarceration seems like its not a harsh enough punishment. The paper described the sex criminals are repeat offenders. People commit these crimes cause of abuse in their child hoods and power struggle of felling dominant. This punishment may not be the cure but it works better than just incarceration.

 

 

seems to me that prison term and lifetime chemical castration should make the impact we need. the chem. castration is not double jeopardy or even additional punishment but required, ongoing therapy as a condition of release. life in prison, no possibility of parole or chem. castration with possibility of parole. as a matter of fact, i think all male inmates should undergo chem. castration while in prison as is evidenced by the conditions they create there ... D.M. Christensen, 24 August 2006

 

 

I see a problem here. You are mixing paedophilia with Pederasty. Paedophilia is a mental sickness, it is not illegal. And acording the studies by the UNICEF, very few paedophiles became child molesters. Although they can became consumers of child pornography, which is ilegal, they can be teached to not do it. So far the paedhophylia, like most paraphilias, can not be cured, but it can be controlled. What is illegal is pederasty. That is, the abuse of minors. Most of the pederast do not become paedophyles. Also , while a high level of testoterone can became a male, more agresivity, it does not mesns he will became a raper, or a child molester. The links are not clear. My point is, paedophyles should be given the oportunity to get treatment (not punishment)... before they became a treat. Pederast, on the other hand should be punished, as an example to others. Chemical castration should be considered a punishment, not a way to release criminals on the streets ... Nanahuatzin, 29 November 2007

 

 

While I haven't completely decided one way or another on this issue, the change from 75% of repeat offenders to 2% is absolutely staggering. Thank you very much for writing this. It helped me a lot with my college presentation ... TJ, 3 December 2007

 

 

I don't care if it can help reduce the rates of repeat offenders, it doesn't stop them all. I don't care if they rot in prison, because they deserve it! I myself am a victim of a rape and know how it feels on that end. I have to live with the memories forever and do believe that real sex offenders (not the young guys having sex with capable girls who know what they are getting into) should suffer as much as the victim and everyone associated with the pain caused by what they did. Maybe if we just shipped them somewhere away from all people that would fix the problem ... Kayla, 18 March 2007