Read this excellent essay from one of our Year 8 girls.

Currently, the legal age at which you can marry in the UK is 16, as long as you have your parent’s permission.

Write an article in which you express your views on this.

What if we lived in a society where domestic violence was unheard of? What if we were all completely free and not have to abide by somebody else’s rules. What if we could live a life where our fears are all cast away. For many people, regrettably, this dream seems to be out of their reach because of people being married at the age of sixteen. These adolescents are 50% more likely to have experienced domestic violence, from a partner, than people married after the age of twenty. To reach the ultimate goal of living in a society, ridded of fear and uncertainty, we should raise the minimum age of marriage to twenty. This may seem like a drastic measure: but hear me out.

Child marriage is a form of violence, which disproportionally affects girls and boys, throughout the UK. Peter Walness, the CEO of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, stated in his monthly report, “studies show that early marriages often lead to domestic violence; 44% of the victims of domestic violence even have their own thoughts clouded over by their abusive partner, leading them to believe that their partner’s actions are justified.” These shocking statistics, provided by the NSPCC, should be an admonition that we have to preform swiftly to ensure the safety of thousands of children, vulnerable to exploitation and obscene actions. How can we leave anyone to be subjected to this revolting conduct?

Another detrimental effect of being married too young is that vital education may be interrupted, subsequently, leading to the chances of success in life being quite limited. This may cause severe financial issues in the future, leading to debts and many other problems. Last week, I volunteered at a homeless shelter, where I met a woman in her late thirties, who told me that she became homeless due to her education being disrupted by her decision to marry at the age of sixteen. She exclaimed that she will forever regret her decision of marrying the man, who she later divorced. Due to her early marriage, she was unable to find a job because of the lack of qualifications which she held. Many other people will result in having to live homeless, battle with mental health issues and constantly live in apprehension of what may occur next, which is why we need to raise the minimum age for marriage to twenty years old so children are able to fully enrich their knowledge through the power of education.

Another negative impact of marrying at the age of sixteen, which we should all be aware of, is that there is a higher chance of the female partner becoming pregnant. Studies have shown that adolescent mothers face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis, and systemic infections than women aged 20-24 years old. Babies born to adolescent mothers face higher risks of a low birth weight, preterm delivery, and severe neonatal conditions than those born to a woman aged 20-24. The thought of loosing a baby, to a parent, must be their worst nightmare and may lead to severe mental health problems, such as depression, due to their bereavement and grief. The problems, which many parents face due to the loss of their child, can often lead them to commit suicide. To stop these damaging effects from occurring, the legal age for marriage in the UK should be increased to twenty because too many young people’s lives are being taken away too soon.

My final point is that marrying at the young age of sixteen, may cause one to feel constrained to limited careers or vocational opportunities. This may cause tension and the marriage to be quite explosive due to one not being fully able to experience the freedom which they greatly desire, therefore, this often leads to a divorce. Some people may argue that a divorce is the new norm, but the financial and mental impact it could have on a person can be horrendous, not to mention the 4,941 men, who committed suicide due to their divorce in England and Wales last year.

Why should any young person have to be subjected to these horrors?

Abhorrent! Abominable! Atrocious! We must combat the law; we must make the safety of others paramount; we must raise the minimum age for marriage to twenty!