(Child) Marriage in America

In 2019, a 15-year-old girl sat in a West Virginia courthouse, her hands trembling as she signed marriage documents to wed her 32-year-old cousin. Her parents framed the union as a way to "keep the family close" and stabilize their finances. Within a year, she dropped out of school, became pregnant, and found herself trapped in a cycle of abuse. Her story is not unique. Over 300,000 minors were married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018, according to advocacy group Unchained at Last. While many assume child marriage is a relic of the past or confined to other countries, it persists in America, enabled by fractured laws and cultural complacency.

The United States is an Unfortunate Outlier

Globally, child marriage is condemned as a human rights violation and most developed nations ban it outright. Unfortunately, the U.S. continues to lag behind peer nations. Germany, Canada, and France mandate a minimum marriage age of 18. The UK closed its loopholes in 2023. The United Nations aims to eradicate it by 2030. While 196 countries ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to combat child marriage, the U.S. remains one of only seven nations, alongside Somalia and South Sudan, to reject the treaty. "We condemn child marriage abroad but turn a blind eye at home," says Fraidy Reiss, founder of Unchained at Last.

The U.S. lacks federal protections, allowing states to set shockingly low standards. While 12 states now ban marriage under 18, 38 others permit minors to wed with parental consent, judicial approval, or in cases of pregnancy. Some laws include:

• Missouri: A 16-year-old can marry with a judge’s approval.
• North Carolina: Pregnancy allows children as young as 14 to wed.
• Florida: Until 2018, there was no minimum age for marriage.

These exceptions, often framed as safeguards, frequently mask coercion. In 2022, a Missouri judge approved 16 marriages involving minors, all between girls and adult men. "Judges rubber-stamp these cases without scrutiny," says attorney Cassandra Levesque, who survived a forced marriage at 17.

Child marriage thrusts minors into adult responsibilities while denying them rights. In 27 states, statutory rape laws exempt married couples, allowing adults to evade prosecution for sexually abusing minor spouses.

A married 17-year-old cannot file for divorce, rent an apartment, or flee to a domestic violence shelter without parental consent. And in Alabama, a 17-year-old cannot consent to medical care without parental approval, yet a judge may permit her to marry a 40-year-old man.

Southern states account for the highest rates of child marriage in the U.S., with Texas, Florida, and Tennessee leading in absolute numbers. Rural areas also see higher rates than urban areas due to entrenched traditions and limited access to education. While data is limited, advocacy groups note overrepresentation in low-income, immigrant, and conservative religious communities.

An Issue of Gender Disparities

Data reveals that child marriage in the U.S. disproportionately impacts girls. According to a 2021 analysis by Unchained at Last:

• 86% of child marriages involve underage girls wed to adult men. Between 2000 and 2018, over 232,000 girls under 18 were legally married, compared to 48,000 boys.
• In states like Tennessee and Arkansas, over 90% of minors married during this period were girls.

Boys are rarely subjected to child marriage, and when they are, the dynamics often differ. For example, a 2017 PBS Frontline investigation found that boys are more likely to marry as teenagers (e.g., 17-year-olds marrying slightly older partners), whereas girls are frequently paired with significantly older men.

Why Are Girls Disproportionately Targeted?

The gender disparity stems from systemic inequality, cultural norms, and legal loopholes:

• Patriarchal Norms and Control Over Sexuality: Girls are often viewed as needing "protection" or as bearers of family honor. Early marriage is used to control their sexuality, particularly in cases of unplanned pregnancy. Sherry Johnson, forced to marry her rapist at 11, explains: "My daughter’s pregnancy was seen as a ‘sin’—marriage was supposed to erase it."
• Statutory Rape Loopholes: In the 27 states where statutory rape laws exempt married couples, adult men are enabled to evade prosecution by marrying their victims. A CDC study found that 77% of births to minors involve adult fathers, suggesting widespread exploitation.
• Economic Motivations: Families in poverty may see daughters as financial burdens. Marriage transfers responsibility to husbands, often older men perceived as providers.
• Religious and Cultural Traditions: Some insular communities, including fundamentalist religious groups, use marriage to enforce gender roles. The Tahirih Justice Center reports cases in conservative Christian, Muslim, and Orthodox Jewish communities where girls as young as 12 are married to uphold "tradition."
• Legal Inconsistencies: Pregnancy exceptions (allowed in 10 states) overwhelmingly apply to girls. In North Carolina, a 14-year-old can marry if pregnant, but boys cannot legally father children with minors without risking statutory rape charges.

For Boys, a Unique and Multifaceted Issue

While boys represent a small fraction of cases, their experiences are distinct:

• Power Dynamics: Boys are less likely to face coercion by parents but may be pressured into marriage due to pregnancy or cultural expectations.
• Age Gaps: Boys typically marry peers or slightly older partners. In contrast, girls are often paired with men 10+ years older.
• Stigma: Male survivors face unique challenges, as societal stereotypes dismiss their trauma. A 2020 Rutgers University study found that boys in child marriages are less likely to report abuse due to shame.

Barriers to Reform

Even when reform gains traction, systemic hurdles persist:

1. Awareness Gaps: A 2023 Pew survey found 65% of Americans mistakenly believe child marriage is illegal.
2. Cultural Stigma: In rural and religious communities, the practice is dismissed as a "family matter." Advocacy groups report pushback from leaders who fear "outside interference."
3. Political Cowardice: Despite bipartisan support for bans, legislators in swing states avoid "controversial" votes ahead of elections.
4. Survivor Silencing: Many victims cannot speak out due to fear, legal entrapment, or immigration status.

Efforts to end child marriage face resistance rooted in misinformation and ideology.

What Needs to Change

Child marriage in America is a gendered crisis rooted in systemic inequality. While girls bear the brunt, solutions must address the unique vulnerabilities of all minors. As Fraidy Reiss of Unchained at Last states, "we cannot end this human rights violation without confronting the misogyny and exploitation that fuel it."

Solutions to this issue include:

• Closing statutory rape loopholes and ensuring marital status does not shield perpetrators.
• Targeting outreach and educating communities where girls are most vulnerable, emphasizing education and economic empowerment.
• Supporting survivors through expanding resources for boys, including legal aid, mental health services, and programs to help minors escape abuse.
• Passing laws like the 2024 Child Marriage Prevention Act to eliminate exceptions and set 18 as the universal minimum age.
• Increase public accountability by launching awareness campaigns featuring survivor stories, like Nebraska’s 2023 "Why 18?" initiative, which reduced child marriages by 80%.
• Pressure companies like Google and Meta to ban ads promoting underage marriage.

Organizations like Unchained at Last and Tahirih Justice Center are leading this fight, but progress hinges on public accountability, and in some cases, outrage.

Final Thoughts

Child marriage is not a relic, it’s a crisis thriving in the shadows of complacency. Every day, children are traded as pawns in a legal system that prioritizes tradition over protection. We can act now and contact our representatives, donate to survivor funds, and amplify this issue. Silence is complicity.

Survivor Sherry Johnson, now a Florida lawmaker, puts it plainly, "ending child marriage isn’t about politics—it’s about basic humanity. When we let children be children, we build a better future for us all."

The choice is clear: Will America protect its children, or perpetuate a system that robs them of their futures?

Sources: Unchained at Last (2021), CDC, PBS Frontline, Tahirih Justice Center, Rutgers University, Pew Research Center, UNICEF.