Supporting Factors and Consequences of Child Marriage

This qualitative study explores why girls in Java, Indonesia marry during childhood and what happens to them afterwards. Researchers interviewed eight child brides to understand the causes and consequences of their marriages. The study found that child marriage typically results from unwanted pregnancy, family pressure to avoid shame, lack of education, or economic hardship. Girls who marry young face serious harms including dropping out of school, economic instability, legal problems, loss of freedom, mental health issues, violence, and health problems.

Key points

• Four main causes of child marriage identified: unwanted pregnancy, parental and community pressure to prevent scandal, limited education, and economic factors
• Consequences include discontinuation of education, economic instability, and legal violations such as age falsification and unregistered marriages
• Child brides experience deprivation of liberty and autonomy, psychological problems, violence, and health complications
• Legal documents such as birth certificates are difficult to obtain for child brides
• The study was conducted in Java, Indonesia with eight girls who had married as children

Limitations

This is a small qualitative study with only eight participants from one region of Indonesia, so findings cannot be generalised to other contexts or populations. The study describes causes and consequences but does not evaluate any intervention to prevent or address child marriage.