Larry Don McQuay and Fred S. Berlin

In Part I of the following two-part viewpoint, convicted child molester Larry Don McQuay maintains that the fear of being sent to prison after his release will not deter him from molesting children again. He contends that castration is the only treatment that will keep him from molesting children. In Part II, Fred S. Berlin asserts that chemical castration—injections of a female hormone that reduce a man’s sexual desire—is an effective treatment for sex offenders, especially when used together with psychological counseling. Berlin is an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the director of the National Institute for the Study, Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Trauma.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In McQuay’s...