What are the causes and effects of early marriage? The immature individuals, who get married, are not always stable enough to cope with the difficulties that come with marriage. What makes people get married early and what are the consequences?
A kind of disobedience. It is up to the youth to be influenced by modern tendencies and a desire to be like a young celebrity who has married recently. Moreover, these people feel themselves to be like Romeo and Juliet, who found one love for their entire life. They escape and get married secretly, breaking the prohibitions.
Early marriage as a tribute to ancestors. To keep the traditions preserved is one of the primary tasks in many African countries. They contract a marriage due to the customs inherent to their ancestors.
Lack of sexual education and unexpected pregnancy. The modern world has its own rules and no restrictions. However, young people are not always educated enough on the subject of sexual relationships and methods to avoid unplanned pregnancy. Most countries prohibit abortions. Furthermore, they bear criminal liability under the law. To prevent legal responsibility and any punishment the young people are obliged to get married, even if one of the “participants” is thought to be too young for that.
Protection of the family’s honor. By giving their daughter into marriage at a very early age, it means chastity, parents keep their dignity and honor.
Effects of early marriage A couple who married at an early age and lives happily is like a needle in a haystack. In most cases, early marriages are not good for both sides of the relationship. However, the main negative influence falls on the young girls who are married off at tender ages.
Top 9 effects of early marriage
A couple who married at an early age and lives happily is like a needle in a haystack. In most cases, early marriages are not good for both sides of the relationship. However, the main negative influence falls on the young girls who are married off at tender ages.
Lack of education. In most cultures, the primary “function” of a girl or a woman is to give birth to children and run the house. Such necessary feature as education is thought to be unnecessary for them. The girls are detached from educational establishments and are obliged to be good wife. It is forbidden to them to have even the slightest idea to continue studying.
Great refusal. Even if a woman is finally allowed to continue her formal education, she often faces another difficulty – a refusal to be accepted back. The only answer to her “Why?” is that she is already a wife and a mother of a child whom she should take care of.
Being in a trap. As a result, these girls find themselves being in a trap: on the one hand, they have to work to earn a living, but from another hand – a lack of education and necessary skills doesn’t provide enough opportunities for well-paid jobs. That’s why their life turns into a “circle of survival” with no beginning and no end.
Emotional adversity. From the very early years, families force their children to do something contradicting their own wishes and aims. The young “brides” are not given a choice and are made involved in relationships without a feeling of love. Only traditions make sense. As a result, the emotional state of girls becomes slightly unstable. She is not mature enough mentally to cope with all the difficulties and questions in her mind. They find only two ways out – commit suicide or run away with the kids from their husbands to some distant relatives. This leads to social renunciation and shame put on her family. Moreover, they still stay face-to-face with their difficulties with no help.
Young and physically productive. In developing countries, the problem of early marriage is followed by higher productivity. The younger a girl is, the more children she can give birth to. Also, in some tribal communities, it is a tradition to have many children. Furthermore, some of these social structures give preference to boys as to the continuers of the family. As a result, a couple produces more children to “reach the goal”. Possessing too many children is the key cause of the world problem called “overpopulation”.
