Children, mostly young girls forced to wed at 12 - 16? And this IS in America.

texstyle

I kind of knew this was still going on but I didn't realize how much it was happening. I just wanted to share because maybe some of the other YLF members don't know about it - and maybe the more who do, the bigger chance of stopping it.

http://www.miamiherald.com/opi.....77779.html

7 years ago

Off Topic

15 replies

Latest reply was from Gigi

Sal

Veteran

Frightening. My sons are 12 and almost 15 and are no way old enough to make these choices nor are their female peers. I know different communities provide different experiences, upbringings and religions - but the lack of choice for the future is scary. And it is hard not to see this as misogynist.

7 years ago

Sara L.

Veteran

This is terrible.

7 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Thanks for posting; I had no idea that this was going on.

Kiwigal, you are right that this practice would be much more harmful for the girls involved. Even if there is no pregnancy to "cover up," the girl is most likely going to be deprived of her ability to get further education, making her dependent on a man who most likely does not have her best interests at heart. As you say, it really creates a lack of choice for the future.

7 years ago

Anonymous

I have 4 daughters, and this makes me shudder!

7 years ago

rabbit

Veteran

So disturbing. I knew that it went on in certain very insular religious communities, but I didn't know it was quite so widespread or could be done in every state with parental or judicial approval. Such a trap too if it coincides with places or communities where young girls don't get adequate sex ed and health information, or have access to birth control, or there are heavy restrictions on abortions. Let alone the societal, parental, or religious pressure.

7 years ago

ClaraT

Veteran

This should be illegal, full stop. So often these early marriages are about virginity/sex/accidental pregnancy, and these stories are (one reason) why I support early and thorough sex education and free access to birth control. We need to give girls access to information and to tools that allow them to control their sexual life, their reproductive life, and as a result, their course in life. Very sad and very frustrating in 2017!

7 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I wonder what would happen if we stopped focusing on marriage, and just made sex for or with anyone under age 18 illegal. Some want the driving age raised as well. We don't let kids drink. Why not be crystal clear on where the line is? If people are too physically and mentally immature for sex below this age, and they are - then they simply are. Doesn't have to be a felony for young people. Simple misdemeanour. For adults, nail 'em for the sickos they are.

7 years ago

columbine(erin)

Veteran

Oh how horrifying. I didn't know this happened so often in our country.

7 years ago

Lucy

Veteran

My area of research is sexual violence, icnluding child sexual assault, and it seems to me that child marriage is one area that really works to hide sexual violence against children, in the US and in many other nations too. Particularly troubling is that in many jurisdictions, marriage trumps age of consent laws. So if the age of consent is 16, but parental approval is given, an older man can marry a 14yo girl and it is not statutory rape. It's effectively setting her up to be sexually assaulted.

7 years ago

kkards

Veteran

thank you for brining this to my attention...its frightening how we can make so much progress and yet somehow the most vulnerable get left behind.

7 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Lucy, so true. I was not aware of the extent of this until last year when a group in my drama class wrote a short play about it and also presented some of their research. It's very troubling.

7 years ago

RobinF

Veteran

This is horrible. Naive of me maybe, but I had no idea it was legal.

7 years ago

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I wonder what action would be best to try and get this changed? I've written my Congressmen and such before but I'm not sure that one or two letters gets much attention. I wonder if most churches really support this young marriage concept? Maybe just getting more people aware would at least start the conversation about the fact that it needs to change.

7 years ago

rabbit

Veteran

Texstyle the article was written by the founder of http://www.unchainedatlast.org/ , looks like that nonprofit has a lot of suggestions for how to take action and get involved. Thanks for posting about it.

7 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Texstyle, I doubt that a lot of churches support this. I am pretty involved in my church and know a lot of churchgoers (of all denominations), and this does not sound like anything that would be supported. I wonder if it involves certain geographic "pockets" of people? From what I know, even girls who want to join religious orders are strongly encouraged to get their college degree first, or else the religious order sends them to school once they have joined. So there is a strong emphasis on continuing education and emotional development for these girls in the Church, whereas the young-marriage situation effectively closes doors to them.

7 years ago

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