Abstract Following the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, Israeli social media platforms were inundated with uncensored, violent “snuff” videos. Adolescent girls, who research consistently shows to be more emotionally and socially vulnerable to violent online content, particularly within peer driven digital environments, found themselves exposed to severe and distressing material. This study adopts a gender sensitive lens, recognizing that girls’ heightened empathy, emotional attunement, and social connectedness may shape both their exposure to and coping with extreme online violence in distinct ways. This study aimed to explore their emotional experiences, coping strategies, and perceptions of adult support following exposure to these traumatic online materials. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed. Fifteen Israeli girls, aged 15–18, who had viewed war-related snuff videos on social networks, were interviewed in-depth. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Results: The analysis revealed four central themes: (1) Ubiquitous exposure, wherein participants felt unable to avoid violent content; (2) Intense emotional and physiological responses, including fear, horror, shivering, and vomiting, suggesting traumatic stress reactions; (3) Coping strategies and resilience, as some participants ceased viewing voluntarily or with external intervention, sought peer support, and gradually regained a sense of control; and (4) The perceived role of significant adults, with participants noting that parents and educators were sometimes emotionally unavailable due to their own distress. The lack of open dialogue and the reliance on restrictive measures rather than meaningful guidance led to frustration and unmet emotional needs. The findings highlight the importance of preventative conversations, supportive adult involvement, and the development of non-intrusive coping strategies to mitigate the harmful effects of online violent content on vulnerable youth populations.
The right of choice in marriage is universal and it is enshrined in international human rights instruments. Yet, many girls under 18 years enter into marriage without a chance to exercise that right. This has proved problematic as the situation often results in negative outcomes including school drop-out, pregnancy risks, diseases and sexually transmitted infections, unhappiness, and even death. This study therefore examined the factors influencing child marriage among girls in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. It specifically investigated the cultural and sociodemographic factors influencing child marriage among girls in the study area. The ethno-cultural theory of pedogamy guided the study. The mixed method research design was employed with structured questionnaire and key informant interviews utilized in the collection of data. Data was retrieved from 183 respondents, and it was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study hypothesis was tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Results from the study showed that the practice of arranged marriage and beliefs that marriage brings honour to a girl and her family contributes to child marriage. Also, ignorance of fundamental human rights among girls and peer influence, as well as financial difficulties in families, illiteracy among parents and weak enforcement of legal sanctions against child marriage contributes to the practice of child marriage. The study recommends, among others, promotion of education and awareness programme that challenge cultural beliefs that perpetuate child marriage, and implementation of interventions that address poverty in Nasarawa Eggon LGA.
Childhood is a critical developmental period characterized by awareness and understanding of societal norms and expectations. As Black women, we share childhood experiences that formed the basis of our early understanding of what it truly means to be Black in America. Creating a sense of community through our shared experiences, the authors recounted experiences like this one: In a pediatric waiting room years ago, a White child played with a velvet curtain, and was met with adoring gazes and friendly smiles. Minutes later, a Black child playing with the same velvet curtain was immediately approached by a security guard and asked to stop the behavior. Their Black mother verbally exploded at the security guard in defense of her child, condemning racialized double standards to the guard's back as he walked away. The little Black girl who watched her mother publicly lose composure for the first time began learning a lesson that would stay with her for the rest of her life – she was Black, and that had rules. Life would not be fair, but she must always behave in public, and because no one would care about her pain, there was no benefit in expressing it. This girl would fall victim to the “Strong Black Woman” schema, and one day educate others about its harms.
Brittany S. Johnson, Shaquanna Brown, Tracey M. Guthrie
ABSTRACT Early marriages occur in Indonesia and this still contributes to maternal and childmortality. Therefore, research is needed to find out the reasons why the incidenceof early marriage can occur. This research was conducted in four sub-districts inSurabaya, East Java, Indonesia, by taking respondents based on the technique ofsnowball sampling. After the interview, several factors had apparently contributedto this early marriage, among others, culture, economic level, level of education,and level of knowledge on marriage. This of course requires a program to increasethe age of first marriage by a woman called maturing marriage age. It is hoped thatthe contributing factors to early marriage will not be repeated in the future whenthe perpetrators of the early marriage are given an explanation of the importanceof delaying the age of marriage to adulthood.
Background Parental divorce can disrupt adolescents’ identity, security, and belonging. In Muslim-majority Indonesia, divorce is also interpreted through cultural expectations of family unity, filial respect, family reputation, and religious meaning. These meanings may intensify stigma, but they may also provide adolescents with moral language for patience, hope, and self-restraint. Objective This study explored how Indonesian Muslim adolescent girls make sense of psychological well-being after parental divorce, with attention to Islamic cultural meanings, family relationships, stigma, and coping. Methods This qualitative original research used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 15 Muslim adolescent girls aged 14–15 years who had experienced parental divorce for at least one year. Participants were recruited purposively from a junior high school in Bekasi City, Indonesia. Interviews were conducted in Bahasa Indonesia, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated for reporting, and analyzed through idiographic case-by-case interpretation, cross-case theme development, reflexive journaling, and researcher consensus. Results Four superordinate themes were identified: negotiating loss and self-acceptance after family rupture; relational ecosystems as both protection and vulnerability; moving from reactive survival toward purposeful autonomy; and Islamic cultural context and moral meaning-making. Participants described divorce as more than a family event. It became a public and moral experience shaped by the label of “broken home,” expectations to respect parents, fear of gossip, and the wish to remain a good Muslim daughter. Conclusion In this single-school qualitative study, psychological well-being after parental divorce among Indonesian Muslim adolescent girls was shaped by emotional, relational, cultural, and religious processes. These findings suggest that school and community support should address stigma and emotional distress while engaging respectfully with Islamic family values in context-specific ways.
Slametiningsih, Achir Yani S. Hamid, Mustikasari Mustikasari et al.
Abstract Background Early marriage, although it remains a common practice in sub-Saharan Africa, has detrimental effects on women’s sexual and reproductive health, social networks, and educational attainment. We sought to investigate the association between attitudes towards early marriage and marital status among adolescent girls in Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 3,013 adolescent girls aged 13-17 years of age, living in four districts of the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Sociodemographic characteristics and were participants’ attitudes towards early marriage were measured using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Results The prevalence of early marriage among adolescent girls was 8.3% and approximately 87.0% of girls had an overall positive attitude towards early marriage. Compared to adolescent girls who were unmarried, those who were married or living with a partner were less likely to believe they should have a say whether they want to marry or not (OR=0.32; 95%CI: 0.18-0.57), believe they should get to decide when to marry (OR=0.52; 0.31-0.88), and believe they should have the final decision over the decision to marry (OR=0.48; 0.32-0.73). Conclusions Interventions to prevent early marriage should strengthen women decision-making processes and promote women’s agency.
Introduction: Teenage childbearing increases the risk of adverse physical and mental health outcomes. According to NFHS-5, 7% of women aged 15–19 in India have begun childbearing, including 5% who have had a live birth and 2% who are pregnant with their first child. Child marriage remains common in several northern Indian states and is a major driver of early and high-risk fertility. Consanguineous marriage, prevalent in parts of India, may further increase reproductive risks. This study examines the individual and combined effects of consanguineous marriage, child marriage, and teenage pregnancy on child loss among adolescent women in India.Method: Data were drawn from NFHS-5 for women aged 15–19 years. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests assessed associations between key predictors and child loss. Univariate and bivariate analyses, followed by binary logistic regression, estimated the independent and combined effects of consanguinity, age at marriage, and teenage pregnancy.Results: Consanguineous marriage and child marriage were associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, while their combined effect further increased the probability of first-child death. The overall model was statistically significant (χ²(5,5462) = 25.278, p < 0.01). Women who married at age 18 or older had 1.2 times higher odds of having a living child than women who experienced child marriage.Conclusion: Consanguineous marriage and child marriage significantly increase the risk of child loss among adolescent mothers in India. Interventions should focus on improving education, reducing poverty, delaying marriage, and increasing awareness of the reproductive risks associated with consanguinity and early pregnancy.
Background. Safe Spaces interventions are mentor-led regular group meetings facilitated in a designated space or location, widely used across Africa to support health and well-being of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). However, there is substantial variation in their intervention design, delivery, and outcomes. Methods. We conducted a scoping review of studies quantitatively reporting at least one of three outcomes of Safe Spaces interventions targeting AGYW aged 10-24 years in Africa: child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, and school enrolment. Data were extracted on study characteristics, participant populations, intervention components, delivery approaches, and outcomes. Findings were synthesised descriptively using narrative summaries, tables, and figures. Findings. Thirty-eight intervention studies (from 51 publications) were included. Studies were conducted across 19 African countries. Interventions were predominantly multi-component, with almost half (47%) evaluating three or more intervention arms. Common intervention components included: life skills and financial literacy training (37 studies), enabling environment activities (22 studies), financial support (20 studies), and economic empowerment (18 studies). Most studies focused on 15-19-year-old adolescent girls. Considerable heterogeneity was observed in intervention design, delivery characteristics, and outcomes assessed, and most studies did not report age-disaggregated findings (e.g., younger versus older adolescents). Interpretation. The evidence base on Safe Spaces interventions in Africa is substantial and highly heterogeneous. Strengthening the comparability of research design, consistency of reporting, and increasing geographical spread remain important for advancing the evidence base on the usefulness and applicability of Safe Spaces interventions in policy and practice in Africa.
Mandy Phuti, Pertina Nyamukondiwa, Silinganisiwe Padline Dzumbunu et al.
Demographic factors have long been suspected to relate to perfectionist traits in adolescents. A broad epidemiological sample conducted in Norway, based on self‐reports, found that scores of perfectionism did not differ by gender or age, although girls were more prone to score highly on overall perfectionism, self‐oriented perfection (SOP), and socially prescribed perfections (SPP). than boys. Perceived economic well‐being was associated with high perfectionism. Parental education was not a significant factor in the perfectionist traits of teens.
Objectives Harmful gender and social norms prescribe divergent opportunities for girls and boys and drive child marriage. This systematic review examines the scope, range and effectiveness of interventions to change social norms and delay child marriage. Design We systematically assess the contributions made by interventions that work to shift norms to prevent child marriage or to limit its harmful consequences. Our analysis classifies each study’s quality in evaluation and implementation design regarding shifting norms. Data sources We conducted a search of electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Popline, Web of Science and Cochrane Library) and grey literature (targeted hand-searches of 15 key organisations and Google Scholar). Eligibility criteria Included interventions sought to change norms related to child marriage, were evaluated in experimental or quasi-experimental evaluations, collected data on age at marriage and norms/attitudes, and were published in English from January 2000 to September 2021. Data extraction and synthesis We used a standardised form to extract data from all eligible studies, and double-screened to validate coding and reporting. We classified the studies by low, medium and high quality for evaluation and risk of bias, and separately by the extent to which they addressed social norms. Results Our assessment of the 12 eligible studies identified revealed little evidence of a systematic relationship between social norms related to marriage and changes in child marriage behaviours. We found stronger evidence of programme effect on child marriage outcomes than on social norms, though only a minority of studies found an effect for either. Studies that appeared effective in changing child marriage norms varied greatly in scale and extent of programming, and few attempted to identify the appropriate reference groups for measuring social norms. Conclusion The studies evaluated by our review provide only weak evidence on the impact of interventions on norms, and on the link between shifts in norms and marriage behaviour.
Margaret E. Greene, Jeffrey Edmeades, Manahil Siddiqi
