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Article Review: Adolescent-led Marriages
Faith A. Sola
Liberty University
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Romantic relationships in adolescents are a central feature of social development
allowing teenagers to integrate attraction and sexuality into their voluntary and platonic
relationships with peers. As relationships flourish, couples advance choosing to cohabit or
consecrate by marriage. However, some adolescents don't have the opportunity to pick their
partner. Over 650 million women alive today were married during adolescence signaling that in
many countries, parents still choose their child's partner. However, in an article by Kenny and
colleagues (2019), the authors analyzed adolescent-led marriages in Somaliland and Puntland.
They hypothesized that societal norms and child autonomy were underlying factors that affected
the frequency and method of adolescent-led marriages. Interviewing 156 participants (varying
from ages 19-50) in both group and individual settings, the authors recruited from four
communities in Somaliland and Puntland (Kenny, Koshin, Sulaiman, & Cislaghi, 2019). The
themes investigated by the researchers were the causes of child marriage, the solutions to
marriage, peer influence, adolescent characteristics before the wedding, the recent changes in
marriage practices, adequate ages for marriage, parental role in marriage, and the qualities of a
good husband/wife. The results were conclusive and provided a surprising insight: most parents
did not want their children to elope at such an early age (Kenny et al., 2019). However, with the
increased adolescent autonomy and technological advancements, adolescents are choosing to
marry young because of the social norms condemning premarital sex, the increased access to the
internet, and poor economic conditions.
In Somaliland and Puntland injunctive social norms dictate that respectable adolescents
refrain from pre-marital sex. Surprisingly, many parents approved adolescent-led marriages,
although they did not agree with the proposal, to avoid the familial shame of their adolescents
partaking in pre-marital sex (Kenny et al., 2019). On the other hand, peer influences such as a
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higher social status for married couples compared to unmarried couples dictate a social hierarchy
between peers especially with the advancement of technology. The authors dictate that many
adolescents see others on the internet and want to imitate those that marry early, thus facilitating
adolescent-led marriages in various ways. Finally, the lack of job opportunities contributes to
men's decisions to elope since they cannot afford the dowry for the bride. The boy decides to flee
with the girl so that the parents would be forced to accept the marriage.
The authors describe a few limitations in their study that are worth mentioning: timing of
data collection and the lack of adolescence in the sample. During data collection, some of the
communities started an intervention that included a child marriage segment. Subsequently, the
study interviewed a wide variety of participants ranging in age; but there were not enough
adolescents under the age of nineteen. Another weakness worth mentioning is the sample size
used for the study. A larger sample size allows for the results to represent a better population of
the world. Also, research conducted in countries that recognizing parent-led arranged marriages
is pivotal for comparison.
Connolly and McIsaac (2009) described many significant points about romantic
relationships in adolescence: romantic relationships (and stability) increases with age, boys start
dating during early adolescence while girls begin during late adolescence, and media and peer
influences impact standard romantic expectations in Western adolescent romantic relationships.
Although similar patterns are seen across cultures, more research done regarding global trends in
adolescent romantic relationships is needed based on cultural normative (Connolly & McIsaac,
2009).
Word of Encouragement
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“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall
become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24, New International Version). This verse describes the unity and
autonomy that occurs after marriage, a covenant between a man and a woman. Similar to the
article mentioned, the adolescent wanted to get married because it allowed them to be
autonomous from their parents and social norms. However, the word also warns that one should,
"not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in
common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14, New
International Version). Clearly, the research article does not state whether families rejected the
proposals because of solely age or of religiosity as well. Parents should be willing to discern
whether their child's partner will be the best fit for the family. Finally, the Lord states that He,
"will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon
you." (Psalm 32:8, English Standard Version). This psalm reminds Christians of the
omnipresence and omniscience of God: he will guide and instruct those that call unto his name.
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References
Connolly, J., & McIsaac, C. (2009). Romantic relationships in adolescence. In R. M. Lerner & L.
Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (3rd ed.).
Kenny, L., Koshin, H., Sulaiman, M., & Cislaghi, B. (2019). Adolescent-led marriage in
Somaliland and Puntland: A surprising interaction of agency and social norms. Journal of
Adolescence, 72, 101–111.
