Authors: Suzanne Petroni, Madhumita Das, & Susan M Sawyer

Publication: December 5, 2018

As many governments worldwide have raised the legal age of marriage to 18 years, some are also considering raising the age of sexual consent. Without close-in-age exemptions, arguments to align the legal age of sexual consent with that of marriage would restrict the ability of adolescents to legally have sex. The authors find that, because the consideration to marry and to have sex are very different, the minimum ages need not be aligned.

Authors: Aditi Wahi, Kristen L. Zaleski, Jacob Lampe, Patricia Bevan, & Alissa Koski

Publication: February 12, 2019

Researchers interviewed Americans who were married under age 18, investigating the reasons behind their child marriages, and the experiences face by participants as a result of marrying underage. Most participants reported experiencing abuse related to their marriage, including physical, sexual, financial, and emotional abuse. Read more.

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Authors: Sino Esthappan, Sara Bastomski, Janine Zweig, Meredith Dank, and Hannah Love

Publication: October 19, 2018

While an emerging scholarly literature has begun to inform responses to forced marriage in Canada and Western Europe, few studies have examined the issue in the United States. The present study is the first large scale examination of forced marriage prevalence in the United States. It surveys a national sample of adult internet users to estimate prevalence of and gender disparities in forced marriage among U.S. adults. Read more.

Unfortunately, due to journal guidelines, we are unable to provide free access to the full article. The link above will redirect you to the journal website where you can view the abstract and select payment options to access the full text.

Authors: Hannah Love, Meredith Dank, Sino Esthappan, and Janine Zweig

Publication: October 25, 2018

Despite the attention forced marriage has received abroad, it remains poorly understood in the United States. This study is one of the first to examine the practice domestically, with a focus on service provision. Using Interviews with those who have experienced forced marriage and relevant stakeholders, the authors describe challenges in recognizing, naming, and disclosing forced marriage. Read more.

Unfortunately, due to journal guidelines, we are unable to provide free access to the full article. The link above will redirect you to the journal website where you can view the abstract and select payment options to access the full text.

Authors: Meredith Dank, Hanna Love, Sino Esthappan, and Janine Zweig

Published: January 2018

This exploratory study examined forced marriage in the United States context and focused on the nature and scope of forced marriage, the intersection between forced marriage and violence and abuse as well as services needed and received by those who have experience forced marriage in the U.S. It was conducted by researchers at the Urban Institute in partnership with the Tahirih Justice Center, with funding from the National Institute of Justice. Please contact the Tahirih Justice Center for more information on the research design and implications of the study’s findings.