More states ban child marriage, though it’s still legal in most of the US

By: Anna Claire Vollers

Outlets: Stateline

Published: August 6, 2026

Words: 956

Last Updated: 1 week, 5 days ago

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After authorities rescued 16 children last month who had been confined to a single room in a home in rural Ohio, attention turned to their mother, who had been 15 and pregnant when she married their father.

The child endangerment case has recharged a national conversation around child marriage, which is defined by the United Nations as any marriage involving someone under age 18.

Earlier this year two Ohio state senators — one Democrat, …

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