BOSTON – With no minimum age requirement for marriage, Massachusetts has become a battleground state for advocates speaking out against child marriage.
The Boston Globe reports (http://bit.ly/2aUvg0t ) minors of all ages are legally able to get married in the state as long as they receive judicial approval.
To obtain judicial approval, all a child needs is to fill out a half-page petition with their parents' blessing. But child advocates say it's difficult to determine whether teens are marrying because they want to or if they were pressured by family.
Approximately 200 children were married in Massachusetts between 2010 and 2014. More than 85 percent of the children were girls, who many times were marrying significantly older men.
State Rep. Kay Khan, a Newton Democrat, says she's considering legislation to prohibit child marriage.
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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com
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