Forced Sex and Early Marriage: Understanding the Linkages and Norms in a Humanitarian Setting

This study examines the connection between forced sex and early marriage among adolescent girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Researchers surveyed 377 girls aged 13-14 and conducted interviews with 30 girls and 61 caregivers to understand local norms around forced marriage and sexual violence. The findings show that married girls report higher rates of forced sex and believe their communities would force them to marry a rapist, suggesting that some early marriages may result from sexual violence.

Key points

• Married girls aged 13-14 are more likely to report exposure to forced sex than unmarried girls
• Married girls are more likely to believe their community would force a girl to marry her rapist
• Qualitative interviews reveal that marrying perpetrators of sexual violence is normalized in this community
• Some married girls in the setting may have been forced to marry their rapist
• Study used baseline data from a program evaluation with both quantitative (n=377) and qualitative (n=61 interviews) components

Limitations

As baseline data from a program evaluation, the study does not assess outcomes of any intervention or follow girls over time. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or determine whether forced marriage preceded or followed sexual violence.