Peer-reviewed article
One household, two worlds: Differences of perception towards child marriage among adolescent children and adults in Indonesia
Heribertus Rinto Wibowo, Muliani Ratnaningsih, Nicholas J Goodwin, Derry Fahrizal Ulum, Emilie Minnick ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined attitudes toward child marriage among 504 adolescents aged 13-15 and 500 parents in Bone, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, where child marriage rates are among the highest in the country. Around one in four adolescents and parents held beliefs supporting child marriage, such as girls being ready for marriage after menstruation or unmarried girls over 18 being a family burden. While parents and adolescents had broadly similar views, some differences were statistically significant. The findings show that social norms favoring child marriage remain strong in this community.
Key points
- 25.8% of parents and 26.0% of adolescents agreed that girls are ready for marriage once menstruation starts
- 25.6% of parents and 32.6% of adolescents agreed that unmarried girls over 18 are a burden to their families
- Perceptions of parents and adolescents were generally similar, though some differences were statistically significant
- Social norms supporting child marriage remain prevalent among both parents and adolescents
- South Sulawesi province has one of the highest child marriage burdens in Indonesia at 12.1%
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study examining perceptions and beliefs only, not actual child marriage practices or outcomes. The study cannot determine causal relationships or whether these perceptions translate into actual marriage decisions.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Indonesia is eighth in the world in the incidence of child marriage, with South Sulawesi province having one of the highest burdens (12.1%) in the country. The study explored the determinants of child marriage in Bone, South Sulawesi, in particular the differences between adolescents and parents. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study using a quantitative survey. A total of 1,004 respondents participated (500 parents and 504 adolescents aged 13-15 years). FINDINGS: This study found that around one out of four parents or adolescents had perceptions that support determinants of child marriage. A total of 25.8% of parents and 26.0% of adolescents agreed that a girl is ready for marriage once she starts menstruation. 25.6% of parents and 32.6% of adolescents agreed that girls aged over 18 who are not married are a burden to their families. Using the U-Mann Whitney , Kendall's tau-b, and Pearson's correlation test, these differences were found to be significant. INTERPRETATION: Overall, the perceptions of parents and their adolescent children do not greatly differ, with some notable exceptions. Positive perceptions towards the benefits of child marriage are still prevalent among both parents and adolescents. This indicates that social norms supporting child marriage are still strong among these groups. Comprehensive interventions are needed to promote the benefits of marrying later, based on local cultural contexts and evidence on efficacy.