Parental Involvement Laws and New Governance

This article relies on ethnographical research on the effectiveness of laws that require notice to or consent from a parent before a minor’s abortion. I first explore the limited potential of three common proposals for reform: revision of statutory language, changing public perceptions of the “good parent” and “bad teen,” and challenging aspects of consent or notice laws in court. I argue that those interested in easing the burden that parental involvement laws impose on young women should intervene at the level of informal decision-making. I draw from new governance scholarship to show how influencing local relationships among gatekeepers of services might better address current obstacles to reform. I temper support for new governance with an assessment of its potential risks, such as its tendency to naturalize power imbalances and to seek overly procedural solutions.