Sexual violence is an extraordinarily difficult thing for any adult, at any age, to come to terms with. And beneath that adult pain is often the younger part of the psyche that still carries what happened. I certainly hope healing is possible, but the road toward psychological repair, or redemption if you will, is not an easy one, whatever the hell it means for the individual.
So why would we ever willingly place children in harm’s way simply because some man wants what he wants, then tells us it is God’s will or that love doesn't see age? Yes, we all need laws on the books to protect ourselves, and of course our children, from such predatory behavior.
Absolutely. It's gastly how often certain lawmakers have argued *against* legislation to establish or raise a minimum age. In some places it's simply never been proposed. In others, it's actively argued against. Neither is okay.
This is so eye opening reading these statistics and so incredibly sad. I’m happy that you are able to listen & support those who desperately need to be heard.
I went and had a look at where Australia stands. The legal age is 18. Marriage under the age of 16 is illegal in every circumstance. 16-17yo. marriage is allowed in exceptional circumstances, with pregnancy explicitly stated as not sufficiently exceptional. Any coercion, either physical or psychological is immediately disqualifying. I wonder what actually does qualify as exceptional circumstances and whether this qualifies as "allowing child marriage" in terms of the statistics. Thanks for bringing this to people's attention.
Yeah I can't imagine a circumstance that would justify it. There should be no exceptions. And, how do they ensure there's no coercion? That tends to be very sneaky. I'm glad it's strict, but there should be no exceptions.
Agree. Particularly where there is a regime of media suppression, which often protects the wrong person. Couldn’t find any meaningful info as to what these exceptions might be.
Super important read, especially the shocking prevalence of it North America, let alone other parts of the world in 2026. Thank you for this insightful read, Deborah.
I can't believe this kind of thing still happens in 2026. Parents signing away their own children's life to a random person hiding their intentions behind "God's will," forgive me if this sounds harsh, are the ones who should be incarcerated.
What I fail to see is that how the adults involved in these scenarios could have no empathy for the child. If someone had done that to them, would they have been okay with it?
I hate to admit that my country has a long history of child marriage. Though I have no idea if child marriage is still happening, I know for a fact that marriages are still being coerced into happening by several parents.
I sincerely hope people seek and get psychological advice instead of religious advice.
Sexual violence is an extraordinarily difficult thing for any adult, at any age, to come to terms with. And beneath that adult pain is often the younger part of the psyche that still carries what happened. I certainly hope healing is possible, but the road toward psychological repair, or redemption if you will, is not an easy one, whatever the hell it means for the individual.
So why would we ever willingly place children in harm’s way simply because some man wants what he wants, then tells us it is God’s will or that love doesn't see age? Yes, we all need laws on the books to protect ourselves, and of course our children, from such predatory behavior.
Absolutely. It's gastly how often certain lawmakers have argued *against* legislation to establish or raise a minimum age. In some places it's simply never been proposed. In others, it's actively argued against. Neither is okay.
This is so eye opening reading these statistics and so incredibly sad. I’m happy that you are able to listen & support those who desperately need to be heard.
Thank you, Suzie. I think a big part of why the problem persists is lack of awareness.
I went and had a look at where Australia stands. The legal age is 18. Marriage under the age of 16 is illegal in every circumstance. 16-17yo. marriage is allowed in exceptional circumstances, with pregnancy explicitly stated as not sufficiently exceptional. Any coercion, either physical or psychological is immediately disqualifying. I wonder what actually does qualify as exceptional circumstances and whether this qualifies as "allowing child marriage" in terms of the statistics. Thanks for bringing this to people's attention.
Yeah I can't imagine a circumstance that would justify it. There should be no exceptions. And, how do they ensure there's no coercion? That tends to be very sneaky. I'm glad it's strict, but there should be no exceptions.
Agree. Particularly where there is a regime of media suppression, which often protects the wrong person. Couldn’t find any meaningful info as to what these exceptions might be.
😖
This is horrifying. 300,000 - it's hard to believe. Thank you for shining light on this important topic. It's abuse, and it's wrong.
Yes. Thank you for naming that so clearly.
Thank you for bringing awareness to this. I was unaware until listening to your post.
Thank you for being open.
You're welcome
Super important read, especially the shocking prevalence of it North America, let alone other parts of the world in 2026. Thank you for this insightful read, Deborah.
Thank you for being willing to take this in. 🩵
I can't believe this kind of thing still happens in 2026. Parents signing away their own children's life to a random person hiding their intentions behind "God's will," forgive me if this sounds harsh, are the ones who should be incarcerated.
What I fail to see is that how the adults involved in these scenarios could have no empathy for the child. If someone had done that to them, would they have been okay with it?
I hate to admit that my country has a long history of child marriage. Though I have no idea if child marriage is still happening, I know for a fact that marriages are still being coerced into happening by several parents.
I sincerely hope people seek and get psychological advice instead of religious advice.
Every country has its shadows behind its beauty. 💔