Child marriage in the United States
[2][6] Then came New Jersey (2018),[7] Pennsylvania (2020),[8] Minnesota (2020),[9] Rhode Island (2021),[10] New York (2021),[11] Massachusetts (2022),[12] Vermont (2023),[13] Connecticut (2023),[14] Michigan (2023),[15] Washington (2024),[3] Virginia (2024),[4] and New Hampshire (2024).
[27] Some researchers have concluded that there are consequences to child marriages; along with the threat of sexual abuse, children may be subject to loss of educational progress, early pregnancies, and psychological trauma.
[33] Traditionally, specifically in developing nations, one of the most common reasons for child marriage was avoiding negative stigmas associated with premarital sex and teen pregnancy.
[34] In 2018, Alissa Koski and Jody Heymann, two researchers from the University of California Los Angeles, compiled a study detailing the prevalence of child marriage in the U.S. and common characteristics of those unions.
The findings were published in their article "Child Marriage in the United States: How Common Is the Practice, And Which Children Are at Greatest Risk?
According to Unchained At Last's study, some 86% of the children who married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018 were girls – and most were wed to adult men an average of four years older.
[19] According to information compiled by the Pew Research Center, child marriage is generally more common in some of the Southern United States.
[37] The highest rates of child marriages are in West Virginia, Florida, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma, Arkansas, California, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
[37][39] According to a Frontline report by Anjali Tsui, Dan Nolan and Chris Amico, the states with the highest rates of child marriage in 2010 were: Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia and Missouri.
The states with the lowest rates were Delaware, New Jersey, Montana, Indiana, North Dakota, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Instances of marriage were lower among white non-Hispanic children (5.0 per 1,000) than among almost every other racial or ethnic group studied;[citation needed][when?]
[6][2] Then came New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Massachusetts,[47] Vermont, Connecticut,[14] Michigan,[48] Washington[49] and Virginia.
[75][76] Emancipated minors are theoretically considered adults, so that they may be able to file for a restraining order, get a divorce, and benefit from social services in certain states, though these laws are not universal.
According to American Child Bride by Nicholas Syrett, "There is a long history in the United States of marriage laws being used to circumvent legal repercussions of sexual activity with a minor".
According to data collected in 2015 by Jon Elhai, women who experienced traumatic events as children often experience mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and mood disorders, as well as low self-esteem.
[82][34] The Tahirih Justice Center is a national, nonprofit organization that serves immigrant survivors of gender-based violence and advocates to end forced and child marriage on the state and federal level.
In 2013, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act mandated that the US Secretary of State must "establish and implement a multi-year, multi-sectoral strategy to end child marriage".
[90] In fact, a 2019 United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) report revealed over 8,000 spouse and fiancé(e) petitions involving at least one minor were approved by USCIS.
Such underage marriages must be approved by a superior court, must have either parental consent or an emancipated minor, and the age difference between the parties must not be more than 3 years.
[93] In California in 2017, a bill that would have ended child marriage (by raising the minimum age to 18) ran into opposition from legislators, the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood.
[94] Since January 1, 2019, California legally requires the parents and partners of minors wishing to marry to meet with court officials separately, to determine if there is any coercion.
[102] Representatives Bryan Zollinger and Julianne Young voted against, citing their opinion that judges should not be involved in marriages and that parental consent was sufficient.
Representative Christy Zito complained that the bill would make it harder for people to start families if they conceive a child underage, compared to abortion.
[103] In March 2020, Indiana raised the minimum age for marriage from 15 to 16 with judicial approval if the intended spouse is no more than four years older.
Additionally, a 17-year-old cannot marry a person more than 4 years older than themselves, they must have completed high school or obtained an equivalent degree such as a GED, and must prove that they are able to take care of themselves.
After several failed attempts, Maryland legislators managed in 2022 to raise the marriage age from 15 to 17 with judicial approval and either parental consent or a court petition, and eliminate the exception that allowed minors to marry if they were pregnant.
In 2018, New Hampshire passed a law, signed by Governor Chris Sununu, that raised the minimum marriage age from 14 to 16 with judicial approval.
[117] The bill was revived due to political pressure, passed, and signed into law in May 2018 by Governor Haslam, preventing anyone younger than 17 from marrying in Tennessee.
[40] On March 25, 2019, the Governor of Utah, Gary Herbert, signed a law which raised the minimum marriage age from 15 to 16, with judicial approval.
West Virginia set a minimum marriage age of 16 in 2023, if the minor has parental consent and the intended spouse is more than four years older.
