Fascinating article-- 27 states have no minimum marriage age

[TexasTiger 12,993]

"“You can’t get a job, you can’t get a car, you can’t get a license, you can’t sign a lease,” she adds, “so why allow someone to marry when they’re still so young?”"

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/opinion/sunday/it-was-forced-on-me-child-marriage-in-the-us.html

[homersapien 11,425]

Wow. 

I wonder how we compare to Europe on this.

[augolf1716 21,254]

5 hours ago, homersapien said:

Wow. 

I wonder how we compare to Europe on this.

The marriageable age as a right is 18 in all European countries, with the exception of Andorra and Scotland where it is 16 (for both sexes). 

In some countries it coincides with puberty

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriageable_age#Europe

[Mims44 1,885]

They really shouldn't count 17 year olds in the study. So many of the guys and girls I went to school with got married at 17 to their slightly older boyfriends/girlfriends because they joined the military. Some worked, some didn't, some are still married but miserable. ....Ya know, like normal marriages.

 

I did have a 13 year old in my middle school get married, although she kind of forced it on her parents instead of the other way around. We all thought it was crazy then, and it doesn't seem any less crazy now

[homersapien 11,425]

9 minutes ago, Mims44 said:

They really shouldn't count 17 year olds in the study. So many of the guys and girls I went to school with got married at 17 to their slightly older boyfriends/girlfriends because they joined the military. Some worked, some didn't, some are still married but miserable. ....Ya know, like normal marriages.

 

I did have a 13 year old in my middle school get married, although she kind of forced it on her parents instead of the other way around. We all thought it was crazy then, and it doesn't seem any less crazy now

Well, let's face it.  Marriage is largely a calculated risk if not an outright gamble.

But taking the risk while you are still a child (mentally) hardly helps your chances.

[AuburnNTexas 7,167]

With marriage comes the possibility of pregnancy and the building of a family. There is scientific proof that very young females are at a much higher risk during pregnancy so that is one reason that an age limit should be required. The other side of it is economic in that young people have not finished their education and as such will be forced into menial low paying jobs which will make supporting each other and children  a very difficult task. I am a proponent of 18 with an exception of 17 with Parental approval similar to what we do with military service.

[alexava 6,973]

Most brains just don't develop at the same rate as puberty. Hell, early twenties for majority of people, never for others. Laws limits may not be the only answer to the problem but should adress the most inappropriate ones.