America becomes a more 'adult-centered' nation

A new survey finds a decreased emphasis on children in marriage.

from the July 10, 2007 edition

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It's not a widely respected choice.

"There is a social stigma, [but] I think it's not equally applied across the country and not equally applied to both genders," says Vincent Ciaccio, a spokesman for No Kidding!, an international group for people without children based in Vancouver, British Columbia. "I am aware of [some women] who just don't mention they are child-free in mixed company."

Poll of the child-free

For a master's thesis, Mr. Ciaccio conducted one of the few surveys of the child-free in the United States, involving 450 individuals. The more common motivations included concerns for personal space and time, and no feeling of a compelling reason to have kids.

Among married couples in Ciaccio's survey, 62 percent said they were concerned children would undermine their relationship with their spouse.

Preserving spousal companionship ranked high in another survey of 171 child-free individuals that was conducted by Laura Scott, who is working on a documentary about being childless by choice. In dozens of sit-down interviews with childless individuals, Ms. Scott also found generally high support for public education and community programs for children.

Ciaccio's survey highlighted certain causes among the childless, including government subsidies for birth control, holding parents responsible for their children, and the establishment of child-free areas in restaurants, movie theaters, and apartments. Also of great importance: simple respect for their decision.

"People who don't have children and parents have a lot in common. They are not natural antagonists," says Ciaccio. "If parents respect the choices of people who have not had kids, and people who have not had kids respect the choices of parents, then we can all move forward together for mutual benefit."

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