Teenage marriage

Teenage marriage is the union of two adolescents, ranging in age from 13 to 19, who are joined in 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. Studies have shown that teenage married couples are often less advantageous, may come from broken homes, may have little education, and work low status jobs in comparison with those that marry after adolescence.
A majority of teenage marriages suffer from complications, with many ending in divorce. In the United States, half of teenage marriages dissolve within 15 years of the marriage. Even in Nepal girls and boys who marry without their consent before age 12 in most rural regions later end up divorced saying that they were married at a young age and were unknown about it and don't want to live with each other any more. The rate of teenage marriage, however, is decreasing due to the many opportunities that are available now that previously were not available before.
In the 21st century, teenage marriage is largely unrecognized or illegal in most countries, as most laws classify it as child abuse. Teenage marriage continues to be most prevalent in culturally or geographically isolated parts of the world, and it is decreasing where education is the main focus of the population.
Background.
The legal status of circumstances surrounding teenage marriage varies from one area or era to the next. Marriage has often been used as a tool to create allegiances or agreements, rather than a link between two people in love.
Almost every country has a legal minimum age for marriage, which ranges from as low as 12 in some Latin American countries to as high as 22 in China. The age requirement is commonly 16 for women and 18 for men. Despite laws concerning the age of marriage, tradition usually takes precedence and marriage continues to occur at very young ages. In many African and Asian countries as much as two-thirds of teenage women are or have been married. In many nations, marrying off a young daughter means one less mouth to feed and no fear of illegitimate children, a dishonor to the family. But these youthful brides often suffer physical and psychological damage, according to a UNICEF report.
Historically, most marriages in western culture have had a late age of marriage and an emphasis on the nuclear family. The percentage of women ages 15–19 who are married in the United States is 3.9%, while in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the percentage is 74%. In the U.S., teenage marriages declined significantly after the mid-20th century, but experienced resurgence in the 1990s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Census data from 2000 show that 4.5% of 15- to 19-year-olds were married, up from 3.4% in 1990. While that was an increase of almost 50%, it was still far below the 9.5% recorded in 1950.
Religious aspect.
The article "Religious Heritage and Teenage Marriage" suggests that many religions such as Pentecostalism, Fundamentalist Christianity, and other institutionalized sects give the message that leads parents and teens to view early marriage as the only acceptable means of culminating romantic relationships. It also became the tradition to the first generation. More recently, research shows that religion has slowed down the rates of teen marriage and teen pregnancy rate since 1991, a reversal of earlier trends.
Legal aspect.
In the Siriono culture of Bolivia, a girl may marry before she reaches puberty. The Murnigin girl of Australia is likely to become a wife when her breasts first begin to develop. The Murmuring boy of Australia might marry for the first time when his beard begins to appear. A Lepcha girl in Tibet is sometimes married at eight years of age, while boys are often married when they are 12 years old.
Boys marry at 15 years of age or less in 10 percent of 58 societies. Another 42 percent marry between 16 and 19 years of age. Thirty-eight percent marry in their twenties, and 10 percent marry when they are 30 years of age. (Ayer) Scientists and psychologists made a discovery in 1963 that in traditional societies, boys and girls have usually begun to do serious work well before they reach puberty. Girls are often doing womanly work at a certain age: cooking, weaving, gardening, and taking care of their siblings from the age of six to the age of nine. Some girls have to do these chores at an even earlier age like three or four. Boys on the other hand, learn how to farm, herd, and hunt before they reach manhood.
Some mothers and fathers attempt to let their children to choose their potential loved ones. However, about 70% of decisions regarding marriage of children are made by their parents. Parents who fail to marry a child at the proper age are thought to be neglecting their responsibilities. These parents usually have their reputations ruined. Across cultures, females tend to be married earlier than males. Boys are married later than girls in 85 percent of 45 cultures. In the remaining 15 percent, both sexes marry at a roughly the same age. The differential in age of marriage for males and females is from one to five years in 78 percent of 37 societies and between six and ten years in another 18 percent.
Results and consequences.
Consequences.
According to the book of Eleanor H. Ayer, another situation that could lead teenagers to an early marriage is often unprotected sex, which could lead to a pregnancy. Other factors that also lead to marriage are love, lust, fear of losing their partner, abuse, extreme parental control, sexual harassment and step-family difficulties.
Results.
One in three teen marriages ends in divorce by the age of 25. Additionally, according to Bob and Sheri Stitof, "marriages and divorce rates have increased by 68 percent since 1995. Also, one out of every four teenagers have parents that are divorced."