Child brides in the US share stories of exploitation, becoming a wife: 'I knew I was 11. I knew he was 20.' originally appeared on abcnews.go.comThey're portrayed as modern-day Romeos and Juliets -- young, star-crossed lovers in dramas like 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager'
They're portrayed as modern-day Romeos and Juliets -- young, star-crossed lovers in dramas like"The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and reality shows like"Say Yes to the Dress."
After discovering she was pregnant, Duncan believed marrying her 18-year-old boyfriend was her only option. She said no one asked her anything at the courthouse or confirmed with her if she was sure about getting married. On the day Duncan was married, she remembered she"was wearing just regular pants … and my hoodie," not the dress she dreamed of.
Even though Duncan and her husband were both teens, the vast majority of marriages occur between an adult man and a much younger girl, some as young as 11."We got married that night after church," she remembered."Nobody said anything. I knew I was a child. I knew I was 11. I knew he was 20. So I knew something was wrong then. And I was really totally surprised that they allowed it to happen.
"Ms. Johnson is the reason for this bill," said Florida State Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto during her remarks on the floor, stating,"Ms. Johnson was raped at a very young age by her deacon at her church. And when it was found out that she was pregnant, her parents, her parents did the unthinkable they forced her to marry the man who impregnated her as a child."
These marriages can also serve as a legal loophole for men to skirt statutory rape charges, she added. Reiss runs Unchained At Last out of an office that she says is in an undisclosed location to protect those who are trying to escape. She said the phone rings all day with calls for help, but that oftentimes they are unable to provide it.
"My first piece of advice is always, 'So tell me why this is the one -- why is this the one?'" Aldrich said."You know, is it because it's a way out? A way to get away from your home life or your parents? Is it because you are just madly in love? Why is this the one and how do you know? And I think that a lot of times [it's] telling."
Abby Gillis, now 19, admitted that she had to grow up fast. She said her life might have been a lot different had she not gotten pregnant and that having a baby was"God's way of telling me to 'wake up, it's time to be an adult.'" "I think there is no age limitation when it comes to love," Abby Gillis said."I think that you know who you love -- when they uplift you and your face just lights up and you feel like their heart skips a beat or you just get butterflies because the presence is there. And I think that people would say that's puppy love, but puppy love is still love."
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