The United States has a reputation for being at the forefront of global human rights, and its internal problems are not hidden. In many countries, child marriage is a social problem that is expected primarily in developing countries. But even in leading countries like the US, child marriages are still expected and a study is taking place that reveals the true situation. Recent research by the organization Unchained At Last highlights the unprecedented scale of the problem of child marriage in the United States.
Child Marriage in the United States: An In-Depth Study
The United States is globally recognized as a leader in human rights and social welfare. But to test that belief, shocking information about child marriages has been published recently. A recent study by the volunteer organization Unchained At Last found that between 2000 and 2018, 300,000 child marriages took place in the United States. Of these, sixty thousand girls are married to men considerably older than them, and 88 percent of them, state laws allow legal sexual violence as an exception to marriage.
US criminal laws prohibit sexual relations with children between the ages of 12 and 15. But there are exceptions to this in child marriages. Thus, US law allows child sexual abuse. This has led to a heated debate on child marriages, sexual violence and its social implications.
The current legal situation regarding child marriage in the United States is very confusing. As of 2017, child marriage was legal in all 50 US states. But in recent years, many provinces have enacted new laws against child marriage. Samoa in 2018, Virgin Islands, Pennsylvania and Minnesota in 2020, Rhode Island and New York in 2021, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and Michigan in 2022, Washington in 2023, and Hampshire in 2024.
Child Marriage in America: A Need Seeking Social Change at Every Moment
This is largely understood in terms of the United States being a leader in human rights and social welfare. But, in the past, there have been shocking reports of child marriages, documenting some of the areas we have. New studies examining this social problem show the need to reform America’s social environment and legal foundations.
Based on studies
According to a recent study by the volunteer organization Unchained At Last, between 2000 and 2018, 300,000 child marriages took place in the United States. Of these, 60,000 girls are reportedly married to men considerably older than them. These data reveal the status of legalized child marriages in some US states.
Statutory exceptions
Of these 60,000 marriages, 88 percent, state laws allow for statutory sexual violence as an exception to marriage. US criminal laws prohibit sexual relations with children between the ages of 12 and 15, but there are exceptions for child marriage. This shows that US law allows child sexual abuse.
Law and Social Change
The current legal situation regarding child marriage in the United States is very confusing. As of 2017, child marriage was legal in all 50 US states. But in recent years, many provinces have enacted new laws against child marriage. Samoa in 2018, Virgin Islands, Pennsylvania and Minnesota in 2020, Rhode Island and New York in 2021, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and Michigan in 2022, Washington in 2023, and Hampshire in 2024.
Social impacts
This type of marriage affects the educational and economic status of women. 50% of young women who marry before age 19 fail to complete high school and 31% of young women end up in poverty. This shows that there is a need to change the mindset of the society in terms of child marriages.
Social problems and solutions
In the United States, there is an expectation that legal reforms will be introduced to address child marriages, broken families, drug culture, gender abuses and social problems. How to enact legal and social change can be a primary step towards eradicating child marriage.
Conclusion
America’s social documents on child marriage are exemplary for countries around the world. This shows that child marriages, social problems and legal changes are already central to the need. To tackle child marriages, you need legal reforms and social awareness.
In social problems like these, cooperation between governments, civil society organizations, and citizens is essential to bring about fair law and social change.
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