Forced marriage is a
violation of human rights and thwarts personal safety and well-being. Child
brides are at higher risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) and often are unable to effectively negotiate safe sex,
leaving them vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, including human
immunodeficiency virus, and early pregnancy. The prevalence of forced marriage
and child marriage in the United States is unknown. The intersection of forced
marriage and child marriage and IPV is
equally unknown.
When 277 mothers who reported IPV to
shelter or justice services were asked about a forced marriage attempt,
frequency and severity of IPV, mental health status, and behavioral functioning of their
child, 47 (17%) reported a forced marriage attempt with 45% of the women
younger than 18 years of age at the time of the attempt. Among the 47 women, 11
(23%) reported death threats, 20 (43%) reported marriage to the person, and 28
(60%) reported a pregnancy.
Women younger than 18 years reported more threats
of isolation and economic deprivation associated with the attempt as well as
pressure from parents to marry. Regardless of age, women experiencing a forced
marriage attempt reported more intimate partner sexual abuse, somatization, and
behavior problems for their children. Forced marriage attempts occurred to one
in six women (17%) reporting IPV and
are associated with worse functioning for mother and child.
The frequent
occurrence and associated effect of forced marriage attempts to maternal child
functioning indicates routine assessment for a forced marriage attempt as part
of comprehensive care for women reporting IPV.
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By:
- 1Texas Woman's University, College of Nursing, Houston, Texas.
- Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Apr;127(4):706-713.
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