Forced Marriage

What is forced marriage? 

     The fact that others seek to exert an influence over a marriage decision does not mean that the decision isn’t made freely. However, if someone agrees to a marriage because of threats or violence, psychological manipulation, emotional blackmail, or deception, that has crossed the line. For example, if a person agrees to marry only because of threats of destitution or deportation should they refuse, that marriage can be said to be forced. If a woman is threatened to be cut off from her family and community should she refuse the match her parents or religious leader have chosen, that’s force.

     The Tahirih Justice Center (link below) found approximately 3000 cases of forced marriage in the United States between 2009-2011. This is most common within closed ethnic or religious communities, including ultra- Orthodox Jewish communities.

Child Marriage

       A child (defined usually as under 18) has less ability to resist pressures to marry than an adult. A child is likely to be completely dependent on parents or other adults for basic necessities, so is less able to defy them. Children are usually unable to retain an attorney or file for legal actions such as divorce. They cannot access domestic violence shelters. For these reasons, any marriage involving a child may be similar to forced.  

     Most states set the minimum marriage age at 18, but allow parents or a judge to permit 16 or 17 year olds to marry. Twenty five states set no minimum age with a judge’s approval, meaning that children can be married before they are even legally able to consent to sex. Between 2000-2010 about 248,000 children under 18 were married in the United states, 13, 14, and 15 year olds among them. Most were girls married off to much older men.