BeIR/webis-touche2020 huggingface dataset:
Parent's responsible status in sociey

Societies around the globe recognize parents as having certain responsibilities. If a teenage driver gets into a car accident, it is the parents that are responsible for paying for the damage. The law in this case recognizes that the child should not be responsible. The decision to have an abortion is a serious one, as the Proposition has already agreed. Parents have a role in society to protect their children from dangers and things that may harm them. If we as a global society require parents to take responsibility, we need to ensure that they have a corresponding right to the information that will allow them to act. Having an abortion is a surgical procedure. If a child were having his tonsils out, the hospital would require a signed form from the parents giving them permission to perform the surgery. An abortion is no different. There are always risks with medical procedures and parents have a right to know what is happening with their child. The decision whether or not to terminate the pregnancy does not only affect the mother. If she decides not to keep the baby, whether it is through abortion or adoption, the emotional ramifications of that decision will affect the parents as the teen experiences them. If the teen decides to keep the child, the parents are affected in more ways than one. They will likely be the ones that are responsible for supporting the baby financially as most teenage mothers are unemployed. They will also be responsible for the care of the child during school hours while the teen is attending classes. The majority of society expects no less of them. The decision to allow a teen to obtain an abortion affects the parents as much as it does the teen, and therefore they should have the right to be a part of that decision.
Individual Consequences of Teen Pregnancy

Side Proposition believes that the overall impact on minors bearing children is so severe that it justifies abortions without parental consent. First and foremost, minors are faced with social consequences ranging from frendship failures to worsening inter-family relationships, from school drop-outs to isolation from the community of young adults, all of which impair the mother´s emotional health and her future life. Moreover, 25% of teenage mothers have another child within 2 years[[http://tinyurl.com/39xmlad]], which ensures inability to study, find job etc. Secondly, we believe that pregnancy itself is emotionally difficult, particularly if – for one reason or another – the mother seeks abortion but is prevented from having one without a parental consent. Teenage mothers are more likely to suffer from depression [[http://www.pregnancy-period.com/teen-pregnancy.html]] and those „who are pregnant or have a baby are seven times as likely to commit suicide than teenage women who are not responsible for their own child (Lerman).“ [[http://sean-c-powers.com/TeenagePregnancy.html]] Thirdly, pregnancy is a physically exhausting state, especially when we consider that teenagers´ bodies are still growing and thus not yet ready for pregnancy. Having a baby requires immense strength and good health. The bones are still growing and the muscles are still supple. Getting pregnant can physically damage the body and weaken to an extent where it can prove fatal.[[http://tinyurl.com/3az9aza]] Worse still, minors are generally less likely to seek prenatal care, which further exacerbates the medical dangers. At the end of the day, we see that banning abortions without parental consent has grave impact on the potential mother´s life, can damage her both physical and emotional health, relationships, and most importantly her ability to function in our society.
Opposition Summary & Conclusion

Throughout this debate, the Proposition has argued that parental consent should not be necessary to obtain an abortion as teens are capable of making an informed decision. They have also argued that pregnancy is mentally and physically challenging, and teen mothers are a burden on society. When a teenage girl discovers she is pregnant, the immediate reaction is feelings of fear, humiliation and shame. She wants to fix the problem created by her impulsive act and avoid any distressing consequences. Some minors may not want to discuss their pregnancy with their parents, not because parents are unreasonable, but that the teen is afraid of disappointing them. They may not realize that parents are there to support them and will ultimately do what is in their best interest. The simple fact is that teens are better off if they have to consult their parents when making a life-altering decision. The reason many teens do not ask for help from their parents is not because they are able to correctly or rationally weigh the merits of all the available options, but because they are young, scared and emotional. No option is a universal remedy; all have significant drawbacks. The key, then, is to ensure that teens have sufficient support to deal with the decision that is made. Where parents are unable to give this support, then a judge’s evaluation of the situation is a safer bet than that of a panicking teenager. We believe that Prop's plan does little to resolve the problems in the status quo, but instead blurs the ultimate goal: the well-being of teen girls. This round comes down to a debate of not whether abortion is bad or not, but whether or not parental consent is beneficial for the minors themselves. There is no easy answers for teenage pregnancy, every solution will ultimately affect the teen and alter their lives completely. At the end of this debate we want to make sure that whatever decision was to be made- whether it was abortion or adoption - the minors are safe and supported. This will be achieved through parental support and guidance. Parents have a responsibility placed upon them society to take care for their children. If we pass this resolution, we will be taking away the tools for parents to be able to fulfill this responsibility. In order to guarantee that this takes place, the government must step in and make it mandatory that parents be involved in such a monumental decision. Abortion, like raising child is a huge responsibility. It is important to remember that we can never separate freedom from responsibility, and that when we offer minors the freedom to choose, knowing that the vast majority of them do not have tools to make a choice that takes their long-term interests into consideration, let alone the information or life experience to know what the risks are, we are placing a huge burden of responsibility on them that they are not equipped to handle. That is not being kind – it is irresponsible and unfair.
Under-16s need parental consent for medical treatment and surgery.

Under-16s need parental consent for medical treatment and surgery: abortion should not be an exception. There are plenty of other things children are not allowed to do without their parents’ consent: tattooing, ear-piercing, school activities such as school trips; parents can withdraw their children from school religious activities without their children’s consent; under-16s are not allowed to get married without their parents’ consent. Abortion is at least as important a decision as any of these.
Child-parent Relationships

Ponder what may happen in families: 1) Best-case: supportive liberal parents who will be willing to talk the issue over and grant the required consent if necessary. 2) Next-best case: anti-abortion parents, despite their values, sanction their daughter's extramarital sex, sign the form, and do not escalate the situation afterwards. While we deem this preferable, it is also unlikely: this would require parents to renounce their core beliefs, admit their parenting was all wrong, and adopt a far more open mindset than they sported in the past. 3) Real case: anti-abortion parents behave consistently, deny abortion right to their daughter, and thus force her to (a) self-abort or seek a back-alley abortion, (b) apply for judicial waiver, the waiting period of which increases risks of abortive surgery, (c) force her to carry the child to term and bring it up, exposing her health even further and taking most future prospects - job, education, and friends - away from her, or (d) force her to give the born child up for an adoption, which has negative effects of its own. The mother usually suffers from trauma and depression as well, but it also means that she still goes through with the pregnancy, therefore all the harms of it still stand. Without consent laws, teens in case 1 will talk to their parents anyway, teens in case 2 will carry on not existing, and teens in case 3 will be able to undergo a safe procedure. Lastly, even if parents give their consent, it takes time and the abortion will therefore be delayed (not to mention judicial waiver which is often not granted simply because of the conservative views of some judges). The risk of death or major complications significantly increases for each week into pregnancy, particularly if the abortion is delayed until the third trimester. Moreover, such abortions are more difficult to obtain because they are more expensive and fewer doctors perform them. [[http://xr.com/c9fj]]
In exceptional cases, we appreciate that it may be inappropriate for a child to tell her parents.

In exceptional cases, we appreciate that it may be inappropriate for a child to tell her parents she is pregnant: where she is estranged from them, for example, where she has been abused by them, or where telling them would present a serious foreseeable threat to her safety. In such cases, the courts could allow a waiver so that she would not have to tell them, as happens in those US states where this policy exists. In normal circumstances, however, they should be informed and consulted, and these unusual cases do not affect the principle that this is a sensible law.
Requiring parental consent is one way for government to ensure that minors receive the psychological and emotional support they need.

This argument suffers from several significant flaws in logic and factual content. One, there is the assumption that parents provide the best guidance; in team Canada's view, parents are the best and most appropriate help just because they "live under the same roof" and "eat at the same table." This is of course incorrect. Opposition says: “the relationship between parents and their children is vital“ and it is in the perfect world, but in the real world it often isn’t. Numerous families have a huge gap between children and parents, e. g. conservative religious parents and their non believing children. Parents often aren't willing to discuss and guide their children on the issue, but are more likely to forbid abortion and let children to deal with it on their own. Planned Parenthood v. Farmer, 762 A.2d 620, 637 (N.J. 2000). As the New Jersey Supreme Court found when it held that state's parental notice law unconstitutional, a law "cannot transform a household with poor lines of communication into a paradigm of the perfect American family." Secondly, Opposition contradict itself: in contention 1, they said this debate is not about merits of abortions, while here they argue against abortions as a whole and list their negative consequences. We already showed that similar impact can be expected of childbirth or adoption but moreover, this has nothing to do with parental consent, as requiring consent is unlikely to ease these impacts. In fact, parental consent may exacerbate them: Canada cites a US statistics (though inaccessible) but vast majority of the US has parental consent as necessary for abortion.[[http://tinyurl.com/yh956uw]] These girls likely consulted their parents; yet, they became alcoholics and slobs! As we explained, family relationships can be ruined by simple notification that the girl is pregnant or wants to undergo abortion. The cause of alcoholism or drug use isn’t the abortion itself, but more likely the shattered family.
Societal Fallout of Teen Pregnancy

We sincerely hope that the proposition is not suggesting it is better not to require parental consent because the parents may encourage their children to give birth, thus costing the rest of us money! The proposition agrees most teen mothers are incapable of raising a baby without support. If abortion or adoption are not choices, then the responsibility of the child would most likely fall upon the teen’s parents. It is for this reason that the parents must have a say in making the decision, as it could affect the parents’ lives almost as much as the teen mothers. The cost of “teen childbearing” and the dubious propensity for children of teen mothers to turn out as criminals and end up in jail does not prove that minors should be able to obtain abortion without parental consent. We maintain that the very suggestion is at worst, immoral, and at best, absurd.
Parents have a right to know what their children are doing.

There are good reasons for not telling parents of a pregnancy. Parents who are opposed to abortion may force their daughter to continue with a pregnancy against her wishes, even at a risk to her health or life. Disclosing that you are pregnant necessarily requires that you disclose that you are sexually active: some parents may disapprove of this to the extent that they throw their daughter out of the house, or become physically or emotionally abusive.
Summary: Czech Republic

This week, we stood for rights of teens not to tell, on three bases: (1) teens can choose rationally without involving a parent, (2) requiring parental consent endangers mother's health too much, and (3) abortion is nearly always preferable for teens. Holding any of these arguments means a Proposition win, as Opposition didn't offer an ethics or principle that could outweigh our analysis. 1) If teen can decide without parents, why violate her right? One, we proved that teens are rational, especially in as serious cases as abortions. Only reply? "Teens mostly think with amygdala and this thus is impossible", which is gibberish. Two, even if teen was amygdala-slave, she can consult counselors and other trusted non-parent adults instead of parents, thus ensuring informed choice without need for veto right. Three, even if experts weren't best counselors, neither are parents: as shown, if they aren't consulted, it's for very good reasons, as they harm rather than help. As legislating parental consent is right-violating, unnecessary, and harmful, Prop wins. 2) Consent laws imperil teen moms. We showed that chance of parental veto in societies with consent laws is big, even in as free countries as the US. Veto has serious impacts: teen either gives birth (70 %), self-aborts (12 %), or seeks judicial bypass[[http://is.gd/fh8Do]]. In all cases, teen's health is spoilt; long-term mental & physical health of both mother and child is most at stake with childbirth. However, parents only hurt in that case, the only case where they need be consulted (Canada's main "benefit"). As harms to the teen outrank harms to parents, the teen must have right to override her parents' wishes. 3) As proved, short and long-term harms of childbirth outweigh dangers of legal abortion and its wake. Alone, by showing abortion is the most sensible option for immature, single, poor girls, we show that enabling anyone to ban them from desired abortion harms society's and teens' best interests. Opp gave no benefits of not aborting; we don't believe there are any so early in one's life. Therefore, as it is unreasonable to allow parents to violate a right decision, Prop wins. Moreover, Canada thrice conceded the debate. 1) By dropping parental veto cases as "extremes" which "reformed judicial bypasses can solve": if we could reform system, so that it'd always grant teen abortions regardless of parental wish, why have the law? As long as we can't, all harms stay acute. 2) By giving twice pregnant teen moms as "inconsequentially thinking": clearly, if having kids this young is irrational, danger of veto to abortion is too great to be allowed! 3) By distorting (often nonexistent) proofs, e. g. claims that back-alley abortions are safe (we can't even find if author exists), that judicial bypass won't put abortion off (study not about bypasses), or that abortions lead people to substance abuse (nonexistent). That's unfair in debate mostly about facts v. emotions.
This may be one of the circumstances which could be grounds for a judicial waiver

Placing an age boundary after which a woman no longer needs to obtain parental consent, say at 16 or 18, may encourage a woman just below that age to wait until her birthday before seeking a legal abortion - again, the later the abortion, the more dangerous it is. The law is not good at allowing for individual circumstances, especially when it is required to make quick decisions, so it is unlikely to mitigate the impact of new rules.
Requiring parental consent is one way for government to ensure that minors receive the psychological and emotional support they need.

Abortion is a crucial matter to choose in one’s life. Researchers concluded that “exposure to abortion is a traumatic life event which increases longer-term susceptibility to common mental disorders”.[1] This is the time when the relationship between parents and their children is vital. Informing parents in order to obtain consent is essential and must be reinforced by law. Learning of an unplanned pregnancy is an emotional time. Teens are scared, ashamed and worried about disappointing their parents. It is at this time that they need the support of their parents the most. Having a law requiring that they tell their parents will help them to gain the support they might not ask for, but so desperately need. “Women...in their teen years are at an even higher risk for developing psychological problems following an abortion….[; moreover,] half of the teenage abortion patients suffered a “worsening of psychosocial functioning…49% reported drug abuse and 39% began to use or increased their use of alcohol… Approximately 14% described themselves as having become ‘addicted’ or ‘alcoholic’ after their abortions…60% reported suicidal ideation with 28% actually attempting suicide, of which half attempted suicide two or more times.”[2] As they are so much more likely to develop mental issues, parental involvement is imperative in the prevention of further psychological trauma. Parents offer an important connection and have a unique understanding of their own children. This is because they live under the same roof, eat at the same table, and have invested mentally, emotionally, and materially in their offspring. For this reason, they are able to most effectively offer counsel regarding the issue of abortion. http://www.abortionfacts.com/readon/after_effects_of_abortion.asp [2]
Societal Fallout of Teen Pregnancy

The unwanted pregnancy of minors doesn’t affect only the girl herself but also the whole society. Unwanted children cause economic and social burden for the state. Firstly, teenage mothers are usually not in the situation in which they can take care of the baby as much as it’s necessary. They usually don’t have enough time for upbringing: they either still have to attend school and/or they don’t have any partner to help them (more than 80% of all births to teens (15 – 19) are in the cases of single mothers).[[http://tinyurl.com/39g58ne]] Moreover they often bring huge economic burden for the state: 80% of teen mothers must rely on welfare at some point. And as whole the teen childbearing cost taxpayers in the US 9.1 billion dollars in 2004.[[http://tinyurl.com/3223qkm]] Hence the children of teen mothers will in the vast majority of cases not get the upbringing and conditions for growing up as in the standard cases and besides they will cost huge amount of money. Secondly, we have already mentioned that (unwanted) children of teen mothers usually don’t get the upbringing as others; it causes huge problems on the social level. Not only that nearly one third of daughters of teen mothers are more inclined to become teenage parents themselves,[[ http://tinyurl.com/3223qkm%5D%5D but more importantly children of teen mothers are more likely to commit crime: Scher, Hoffman. Incarceration - Costs of Early Childbearing The sons of adolescent mothers are 2.2 times more likely to spend time in prison than the sons of mothers who delayed childbearing until their early twenties. Similarly the Freakonomics shows the impact of legalization of abortion on the fell of crime. New York, California (and few other states) legalized abortion in 1970’s and due to it the violent crime fell by 23% between 1988 – 1997.[[http://tinyurl.com/3y8ts72]]
Teens Cannot Make the Best Decision

Opposition claims that teens lack consequential thinking because of insufficient brain development, obtain more reliable counseling from parents than from trained specialists, and ultimately have their best interests represented by parents only. Firstly, negation of teen ability to evaluate consequences of their action - in this case, abortion - rests on (1) claim that teens use amygdala part of the brain and therefore can't think consequentially, (2) are thus impulsive and impressionable in all cases. The former is blinding by science, an attempt to deny psychological findings by a biological fact, the ilk of denying the existence of airplanes because "humans develop no wings in their lifetime, hence cannot fly". The latter is a fallacy: abortion is not like deciding to skip homework and go to a party, or even have sex. (Having sex and getting pregnant are not evidence against consequential thinking - it happens to many adults.) Maternity - and abortion - require decision-making that is logically exempt of emotional outbursts; either you want to be a young mother, or you don't, and for very good reasons. You don't need to block your amygdala out to do that. Even if teens were as bad decision-makers as Opposition asserts, what is then more sensible - to allow them to make a decision that will impact them in the short term, like abortion will, or allow them to make long-term decisions about themselves, their parents AND their child? Secondly, Opposition wants to make sure - that is, legally obligatory - that teens "reach out" for help. Yet, that is what teens do by trying for an abortion! As we pointed out in Contention 5, the reality of the situation is that most teens who don't inform their parents in consent-requiring have very good reasons for it, amongst them the fact that their parents may not help them but rather exacerbate their situation even further. Therefore, there is no argument to be made about the necessity of taking final word away from teens.
This may be one of the circumstances which could be grounds for a judicial waiver

This may be one of the circumstances which could be grounds for a judicial waiver - again, it should not be thought to invalidate the principle that parents should be consulted over whether underage children should have abortions. For young women nearly at the end of the 16 or 18 age barrier, the case for parental consultation is clearly less compelling; for 13-year-olds it is overwhelming. We have to draw the line somewhere, and remain sensitive to individual circumstances.