Teen marriage used to be a common practice during the middle ages and up to even as recent as the 20th century. However, teen marriage is less common now in developed countries like America. However teen marriage is still common in less developed countries.
The topic of teen marriage is always a controversial topic. There are many pros and cons to teen marriage, however that does not stop about 4.5 percent of American teens from getting hitched each year. While the number of overall teen marriages continues to rise, the age of adults who marry is also rising to an older age, according to recent teen marriage statistics. The answer as to why more and more teens are tying the knot is unclear. The number of teen marriages more than doubled in America in the 1990s and continues to rise. With teens facing more and more issues like drugs, teen sex, substance abuse and other factors, it is no wonder more teens feel they are ready to get married.
Teen pregnancy statistics also show an increase, which is why many teens might see getting married as a viable solution to raising their child. However, the number of successful teen marriages is not very encouraging. About half of all marriages when the teen is under 18 at the time of marriage end up in separation or divorce within 10 years. That is double the rate of marriages for adults over age 25. In many states, the legal age to get married without parent permission is 18. However, in some states, teens can get married after age 16 if they have proof of parent permission. Each state varies on its rules, so it is important to consult your local county clerk’s office to find out what the official regulations are on teen marriage in your state.
Before getting married as a teen, it is important to weigh your options in order to help make the best decision for both you and your partner.
Teen marriage pros:
For teenagers who are facing a teen pregnancy with a partner, marriage can often provide great benefits for teens who are marrying their partner who may have a job with insurance benefits. That way, the mom and the baby can receive health insurance through their husband. However, this should not be the only reason two teens get married. If the relationship is in anyway unhealthy, do not continue with the marriage simply to get insurance benefits. Many teens also find marriage brings them closer together in their relationship, however there is no reason to not try and forge this bond with one another as unmarried teens in a relationship.
Teen marriage cons:
Unfortunately there are more pros than cons when it comes to teen marriage simply because of the difficulty teens have when it comes to making marriage work. That is not to say it is impossible to have a successful teen marriage. It just often takes more work. Any relationship or marriage requires commitment and work to make it successful, however, because teens are experiencing more changes than ever in their lives when it comes to emotional growth, their futures, etc, it can be difficult to put enough effort into the marital relationship to make it work.
How to make it work:
The teen marriage statistics are dismal demonstrating a more likely than not trend of divorce. However, for those who want to give it a try, it is important to be prepared for the struggle it is going to take in order to make the teen marriage a lasting success. The number one thing to remember when getting married as a teen is that you are still growing both physically and mentally. While many teens feel they are compatible at age 18, they grow into their own person by age 25 and that person may not be the best match for the person they married. There are also pre-marriage counseling tools that teens can use to do research and understand the risk they are taking with a teen marriage.
Again, it is important to weigh all of the pros and cons for teen marriage to decide if it is really the best option for you and your partner. Do the pros of the union outweigh all of the potential risks of divorce and splitting up a potential family? All of these points must be considered before the teen marriage should take place.
Source: cbsnews.com, babycenter.com