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Vermont, Neighbors Lead Nationwide Push to Ban Child Marriage
After authorities rescued 16 children last month who had been confined to a single room in a home in rural Ohio, attention turned to their mother, who had been 15 and pregnant when she married their father. The child endangerment…
Key points
- Vermont and neighboring Northeastern states have banned all marriages for individuals under age 18.
- Seventeen states now prohibit child marriage completely, though 33 states still allow exceptions with court or parental consent.
- Advocates emphasize that married minors often face higher risks of abuse and lack legal rights to file for divorce independently.
NewsWK — While Vermont and most neighboring Northeastern states now strictly prohibit marriage for anyone under age 18, child marriage remains legal in 33 states across the country. Recent high-profile child endangerment cases have renewed national efforts to close legal loopholes that allow minors to wed.
According to a report first published by Stateline, 17 states and Washington, D.C., have enacted total bans on child marriage since 2018. Delaware and New Jersey were the first to implement full bans, followed by New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Nationwide, nearly 315,000 children under age 18 were legally married between 2000 and 2021, with the vast majority involving young girls wed to adult men. Researchers note that Northern New England states currently report some of the lowest rates of underage marriage in the country.
National Debate and Recent Legislative Changes
Oklahoma recently became the latest state to eliminate all underage marriage exceptions after passing a bipartisan law in May. State leaders emphasized that the measure is necessary to safeguard children from coercion and exploitation.
Opponents of total bans in various state legislatures have argued that strict age limits infringe on parental rights. However, advocates point out that married minors face severe legal handicaps under state laws.
“I don’t know about you all, but please think back to who you picked in eighth, ninth, 10th grade, and I think many of you would be very disappointed to be saddled with that person for the rest of your life,” Oklahoma Democratic State Rep. Michelle McCane told her colleagues earlier this year, according to Stateline reporting.
Legal Vulnerabilities for Minors
Because minors generally lack full legal rights, married children often cannot independently hire an attorney, enter a shelter for domestic violence, or file for divorce in their own names.
Research highlights that child marriage increases long-term risks of poverty, domestic violence, and lower educational attainment. Additional states, including Ohio and California, are currently considering legislation to join Vermont and eliminate all legal exceptions for marriage under age 18.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
Based on reporting by Anna Claire Vollers originally published by Stateline. Read the original story.
