Editing Child marriage (section)

====United States====
{{main|Child marriage in the United States|Age of marriage in the United States}}
Child marriage, as defined by [[Committee on the Rights of the Child]] and UNICEF, is observed in the United States.<ref name=HRWSeptember2023>{{cite news|title=How Do US States Measure Up on Child Rights?|work=[[Human Rights Watch]]|url=https://www.hrw.org/feature/2022/09/13/how-do-states-measure-up-child-rights|date=7 September 2023|access-date=13 October 2024}}</ref> The UNICEF definition of child marriage includes couples who are formally married, or who live together as a sexually active couple in an informal union, with at least one member – usually the girl – being less than 18 years old.<ref name="Child Marriage"/> The latter practice is more common in the United States, and it is officially called [[cohabitation]]. According to a 2010 report by the United States' [[National Center for Health Statistics]], 2.1% of all girls in the 15–17 age group were either in a child marriage or in an informal union. In the age group of 15–19, 7.6% of all girls in the United States were formally married or in an informal union. The child marriage rates were higher for certain ethnic groups and states. In Hispanic groups, for example, 6.6% of all girls in the 15–17 age group were formally married or in an informal union, and 13% of the 15–19 age group were.<ref name=cohabitation>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_028.pdf|title=Marriage and Cohabitation in the United States: A Statistical Portrait Based on Cycle 6 (2002) of the National Survey of Family Growth|publisher=US Department of Health and Human Services}}</ref> Over 350,000 babies are born to teenage mothers every year in the United States, and over 50,000 of these are second babies to teen mothers.<ref name=cdcteen>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/features/vitalsigns/teenpregnancy/|title=Breaking the Cycle of Teen Pregnancy CDC, US Government (April 2013)|access-date=2018-03-03}}</ref>

Laws regarding child marriage vary in the different states of the United States. Generally, children 16 and over may marry with parental consent, with the age of 18 being the minimum in all but two states to marry without parental consent. However, all states but 13 have exceptions for child marriage within their laws,<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":10" /> and although those under 16 generally require a court order in addition to parental consent,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tahirih.org/pubs/understanding-state-statutes-on-minimum-marriage-age-and-exceptions/|title=Understanding State Statutes on Minimum Marriage Age and Exceptions « Tahirih Justice Center|website=tahirih.org}}</ref> when those exceptions are taken into account, four states have no minimum age requirement.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Child marriage traps girls in an inescapable legal hell. But it is still legal in 46 US states. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/child-marriage-us-traps-girls-still-legal-in-46-states-2021-4 |website=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref><ref name=":9" /> It is the only [[Member states of the United Nations|UN member state]] [[U.S. ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child|that has not yet ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child]].<ref name=HRWSeptember2023/>

Until 2008, the [[Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints]] practiced child marriage through the concept of "[[Celestial marriage|spiritual marriage]]" as soon as it was possible for girls to bear children, as part of its [[polygamy]] practice, but laws have raised the age of legal marriage in response to criticism of the practice.<ref>{{Citation |last=D'Onofrio |first=Eve |title=Child Brides, Inegalitarianism, and the Fundamentalist Polygamous Family in the United States |journal=International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=373–394 |year=2005 |postscript=. |doi=10.1093/lawfam/ebi028}}</ref> In 2007, church leader [[Warren Jeffs]] was convicted of being an accomplice to [[statutory rape]] of a [[Minor (law)|minor]] due to arranging a marriage between a 14-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man.<ref>Dobner, Jennifer. [https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/wireStory?id=3645951 Polygamist Leader Convicted in Utah]. Associated Press. ABC News. 2007-09-25.</ref> In March 2008, officials of the state of Texas believed that children at the [[YFZ Ranch|Yearning For Zion Ranch]] were being married to adults and were being abused.<ref name="Blumenthal">Blumenthal, Ralph. "[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/us/23raid.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin Court Says Texas Illegally Seized Sect's Children]". ''The New York Times''. 2008-05-23. Retrieved 2008-05-24.</ref> The state of Texas removed all 468 children from the ranch and placed them into temporary state custody.<ref name="Blumenthal" /> After the Austin's 3rd Court of Appeals and the [[Supreme Court of Texas]] ruled that Texas acted improperly in removing them from the YFZ Ranch, the children were returned to their parents or relatives.<ref>{{Citation |last=Winslow |first=Ben |title=All FLDS children returned to parents |date=5 June 2008 |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700231922/All-FLDS-childrenreturned-to-parents.html|work=Deseret News |location=San Angelo, Texas}}{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In 2008, the Church changed its policy in the United States to no longer marry individuals younger than the local legal age.<ref>{{cite news |last=Anthony |first=Paul A. |date=2 June 2008 |title=Sect renounces underage marriage as children return |newspaper=Standard Times – San Angelo |publisher=Scripps Newspaper Group |url=http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/jun/02/flds-children-heading-home-today/?print=1 |url-status=dead |access-date=2013-07-09 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130710024402/http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/jun/02/flds-children-heading-home-today/?print=1 |archive-date=10 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last1=Winslow |first1=Ben |title=FLDS official: No more underage marriages, reunifications begin with the children |date=2 June 2008 |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700231225/FLDS-official-No-more-underage-marriages-reunifications-begin-with-the-children.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012064054/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700231225/FLDS-official-No-more-underage-marriages-reunifications-begin-with-the-children.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 October 2013 |newspaper=[[Deseret News]] |access-date=2013-09-10 |last2=O'Donoghue |first2=Amy Joi}}</ref>

{{As of|2024|June}}, child marriage is legal in [[List of states and territories of the United States|37 states]].<ref name=HRWSeptember2023/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-08 |title=Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs bill to ban child marriages |url=https://www.koin.com/news/washington/washington-child-marriage-ban-03082024/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=KOIN.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Katherine Fung Senior |date=2024-04-09 |title=Map shows 12 states that allow child marriage after Virginia passes law |url=https://www.newsweek.com/child-marriage-ban-state-map-virginia-law-1888471 |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New Hampshire law raises marriage age |url=http://wcax.com/2024/06/14/new-hampshire-law-raises-marriage-age/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=WCAX |date=June 14, 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Thirteen states have banned underage marriages, with no exception: Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Michigan, Washington and New Hampshire.

In 2018, Delaware became the first state to ban child marriage without exceptions,<ref name="reuters.com">{{cite news |last=Thomsen |first=Jacqueline |date=10 May 2018 |title=Delaware becomes first state to ban child marriage |newspaper=The Hill |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/387212-delaware-becomes-first-state-to-ban-child-marriage/}}</ref> followed by New Jersey the same year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-06-22 |title=New Jersey governor signs law banning underage marriage |url=https://apnews.com/general-news-f4ab94a0b9444a01b803750491220983 |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Pennsylvania<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-11 |title=Pennsylvania just became the third state to ban child marriage – CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pennsylvania-child-marriage-ban-third-state/ |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and Minnesota<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rep. Kaohly Vang Her – Governor Walz signs bill to end child marriages |url=https://www.house.mn.gov/members/profile/news/15532/29817 |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=www.house.mn.gov |language=en}}</ref> ended child marriage in 2020, followed by Rhode Island<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-06-08 |title=Rhode Island Is the Fifth US State to Officially Ban Child Marriage |url=https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/rhode-island-bans-child-marriage/ |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=Global Citizen |language=en}}</ref> and New York<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pietsch |first=Bryan |date=July 23, 2021 |title=New York becomes sixth state in U.S. to ban child marriages |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/07/23/child-marriage-ban-new-york/ |access-date=July 11, 2023}}</ref> in 2021, Massachusetts<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ibraj |first=Alba |date=August 4, 2022 |title=Massachusetts Becomes 7th State to Ban Child Marriage |url=https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/massachusetts-becomes-7th-state-end-child-marriage |access-date=October 29, 2023 |website=UNICEF USA}}</ref> in 2022, Vermont,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-21 |title=Vermont governor signs bill raising marriage age to 18 |url=https://apnews.com/article/marriage-age-18-vermont-child-f79af8798cd4f5adfa96fdb15f297275 |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Connecticut,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-02 |title=Connecticut bans child marriage |url=https://www.courant.com/2023/06/02/connecticut-bans-child-marriage/ |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=Hartford Courant |language=en-US}}</ref> and Michigan<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 27, 2023 |title=Gov. Whitmer Signs Final Bill in Package Protecting Children, Officially Banning Child Marriage in Michigan |url=https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2023/09/27/whitmer-signs-final-bill-in-package-protecting-children-officially-banning-child-marriage |access-date=October 29, 2023 |website=Governor Gretchen Whitmer}}</ref> in 2023 and Washington,<ref name="auto7">{{Cite web |date=2024-03-08 |title=Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs bill to ban child marriages |url=https://www.koin.com/news/washington/washington-child-marriage-ban-03082024/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=KOIN.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Virginia<ref name=":9" /> and New Hampshire<ref name=":10" /> in 2024.

Between 2000 and 2018, some 300,000 minors were legally married in the United States.<ref name="Unchained at Last">{{Cite web|title=United States' Child Marriage Problem: Study Findings (April 2021)|url=https://www.unchainedatlast.org/united-states-child-marriage-problem-study-findings-april-2021/|url-status=live|access-date=January 19, 2022|publisher=[[Unchained at Last]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412152603/https://www.unchainedatlast.org/united-states-child-marriage-problem-study-findings-april-2021/ |archive-date=April 12, 2021 }}</ref><ref name=HRWSeptember2023/> Some as young as 10.<ref name=HRWSeptember2023/> Most child marriages in the US are girls marrying adult men.<ref name=HRWSeptember2023/> In fact, many of these marriages occurred at an age or with a spousal age difference that would typically be considered sexual violence.<ref name=HRWSeptember2023/>