Outside Reading-China's One Child Policy

By Kate McClintock

While succeeding in somewhat controlling the Chinese population, the one child family policy also has negative effects. These effects mainly deal the humanity of the livelihood of the people of China. The children of China are impacted in such a way that they are pushed far beyond what should be expected of any normal child. "There's tremendous competition, a lot of pressure for kids to do well at something in China today. It's something that parents can get pride out of and perhaps make money at," said Grant Evans, a professor of anthropology at the University of Hong Kong” (Chang). This competition can go as far as "An 8-year-old girl runs 2,212 miles to Beijing in 55 days. A 10-year-old swims in a river with her hands and feet bound. And then there's 4-year-old Yang Yang, riding a 1,000-pound beluga whale” (Chang), all to try and achieve recognition or make it to the Olympics. The competition also does not stop at sports either. All of this pressure, competition, and denial of a happy childhood comes as a direct result of the one child policy. This is because Chinese adults feel a need to be able to stand out among others. Also, because China is a Communist country, there could be government rewards and benefits for aiding in helping the country’s portrayal to the rest of the world.
The effects of the one child family policy are not just felt on the children but also in the adults of China. Parents who are only allowed to have one child are suffering harsh punishments, cruelty, and psychological affects. In some regions of China the policy is hardly enforced, however, some regions of the country go to great extremes to make sure every family only has one child. The governments that enforce the regulations do so by heavy fines, loss of health benefits and education money. These all leave these families struggling for money. Other parts of the country turn to even more extreme measures. With the threat of all these punishments psychological effects have also been produced. Families who want to have children have both parents focused on having a male offspring to carry on the family name. Mothers are so focused on doing what is best for their child that they try and ensure a male child that they loss sight of humane practices.


Chang, Anita. "Olympics Push Chinese Kids to the Max." Associated Press (2007). 4
Nov. 2007 .