Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? is a Latin phrase found in the work of the Roman poet Juvenal from his Satires (Satire VI, lines 347–8). It is literally translated as "Who will guard the guards themselves?", though is also known by variant translations.

The original context deals with the problem of ensuring marital fidelity, though it is now commonly used more generally to refer to the problem of controlling the actions of persons in positions of power, an issue discussed by Plato in The Republic. It is not clear whether the phrase was written by Juvenal, or whether the passage in which it appears was interpolated into his works.

Application to adult-child relations

The state will often say that children are vulnerable and in need of protectors. However, the question arises of who will protect the children from their protectors. Parents and older siblings are usually considered the first line of defense against molestors, but parents and older siblings are themselves often the molestors of those they are appointed to guard. The same principle applies to babysitters and anyone else who is left with a child alone.

The government, therefore, sets itself up as the ultimate protector of children, but the question arises again, who will protect children from this ultimate protector. The government will, for instance, snatch children away from parents who commit victimless crimes such as cannabis consumption, and place them with foster parents who may abuse them worse, or at any rate, with whom they may be less happy. The argument for giving children liberty to choose their own protectors is that children are most familiar with their own unique situations and have the strongest tendencies to attempt to look out for their own interests, since others may have other agendas that take precedence.