Teenage marriage

Many factors contribute to teenage marriage, such as love, teenage pregnancy, religion, security, wealth, family, peer pressure, arranged marriage, economic and/or political reasons, social advancement, and cultural reasons.

[citation needed]In the 21st century, teenage marriage is largely unrecognized or illegal in most countries, as most laws classify it as child abuse.

The legal status of circumstances surrounding teenage marriage varies from one geographical area or chronological era to the next.

[4] The article Religious Heritage and Teenage Marriage suggests that many religions, such as Pentecostalism, Fundamentalist Christianity, and other institutionalized sects, give a message that leads both parents and teens to view early marriage as the only acceptable means of culminating romantic relationships within the religion.

[8] Other factors that could also lead to early marriage are love, lust, fear of losing their partner, abuse, extreme parental control, sexual harassment and broader family difficulties.

Additionally, according to Bob and Sheri Stitof, "marriages and divorce rates have increased by 68 percent since 1995.