A Child Abuse: Marriage at Childhood Age

This paper discusses child marriage, defined as marriage before age 18, framing it as a global public health and human rights problem. The authors identify key causes including gender inequality, migration, wars, economic hardship, lack of education, and weak legal enforcement. They argue that preventing child marriage requires effective, targeted counter-measures with multi-layered, programmed solutions. The paper emphasizes that children belong in school and at play, not in marriage.

Key points

• Child marriage is defined as marriage before the age of 18 years and is recognized as both a global public health and social problem
• Main causes include gender inequality, migration and wars, economic problems, lack of education, and non-deterrent laws
• Child marriage constitutes a breach of widely recognized human rights of the child
• Prevention requires effective, target-oriented counter-measures with programmed and multi-layered components
• The paper advocates that children should be in school and at play, not in marriage

Limitations

This appears to be a perspective or review article rather than an empirical study, so it does not provide data on prevalence, outcomes, or evaluation of specific interventions. The document does not present original research, comparative analysis, or measurable evidence of effectiveness for any prevention strategy.