Author: Tahirih Justice Center

Publication: November, 2019

This resource, created by the Tahirih Justice Center’s Forced Marriage Initiative, compiles existing research on the harms of child marriage into a convenient one-pager, useful for advocacy and education on the issue of child marriage in the United States.

Author: Tahirih Justice Center

Publication: November, 2019

This resource, created by the Tahirih Justice Center’s Forced Marriage Initiative, provides advice and guidance for hotline advocates who may encounter cases of forced marriage in their work. It includes a definition of forced marriage, a note on mandated reporting, red flags that may indicate a threat of forced marriage, and advice for how to speak to individuals who may be at risk.

Author: Tahirih Justice Center

Publication: January, 2017

This resource, created by the Tahirih Justice Center’s Forced Marriage Initiative, provides advice and guidance for those facing travel overseas where a forced marriage is possible. Individuals are strongly advised to avoid leaving the United States if a forced marriage is possible or imminent as it is extremely challenging to get help overseas. This tip sheet and the accompanying safety planning worksheet will assist those working with individuals at risk of forced marriage to plan in order avoid or prepare for travel overseas.

Author: Casey Swegman, Forced Marriage Initiative – Tahirih Justice Center

Publication: 2016

This paper provides information and research on forced marriage in the United States and its intersections with child abuse, sexual assault and rape, domestic and family violence, stalking, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), and human trafficking. The research demonstrates that forced marriage is a serious but neglected problem in this country, and despite many advocates’ best efforts, survivors of forced marriage and those at risk continue to fall through the cracks of the systems and programs set up to protect individuals from abuse.

Author: Judith McFarlane, DrPH, RN; Angeles Nava, PhD; Heidi Gilroy, PhD; and John Maddoux, PhD

Publication: 2016

Researchers from Texas Women’s University conducted a 7-year study on 244 mothers who had reported intimate partner violence in the U.S. They based their survey questions on the 2011 Forced Marriage Initiative study, and found that 17% of respondents faced a forced marriage attempt, and among those respondents, 45% experienced the threat as a minor.