Research shows definitively that child marriages have higher rates of exploitation and domestic violence, both in the US and globally. And still, there is currently no federal law that specifically governs child marriage in the US. That means individual states are left to make their own varying laws about this legal loophole. Now Wisconsin stands poised to join a small but growing list of states that have banned marriage for anyone under 18, no exceptions. 

The harm of child marriage 

Any marriage where one or both parties are under 18 is defined as child marriage. And in most places, including the US, children have limited to no legal rights. That means leaving the marriage or seeking legal protection in cases of abuse is almost impossible. 

One of the State Senators who introduced the bill in Wisconsin, Senator Mark Spreitzer, is quoted by Newsweek as saying:  

The data is clear: the marriages this bill would outlaw are overwhelmingly between minor children and adults, with the vast majority involving minor brides marrying adult men, and research shows that child marriages have higher rates of domestic violence.

Wherever you live, child marriage most often involves adult men marrying minor girls. And child marriages so easily become exploitative that the United Nations calls it a human rights violation, viewing them as inherently a form of forced marriage. Accordingly, advocate groups point to the lack of federal legislation and the existing patchwork of state laws as harmful to minors. Especially considering that if child marriage is illegal in one state, perpetrators can drive to another state where it remains legal.  

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