/newsroom/taxonomy/term/17445/all en /newsroom/channels/news/child-marriages-violating-statutory-rape-laws-many-us-states-337728 <p>In many U.S. states, children can legally marry at an earlier age than they can consent to sex, leading to situations where sex between spouses may be a criminal act. Some states exempt sex between married spouses from their definition of statutory rape, which may create perverse incentives for child marriage, according to researchers from Æ»¹ûÒùÔº.</p> <p>Their findings, published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X21005528"><i>Journal of Adolescent Health</i></a>, show that child marriages violated statutory rape laws in 14 states.</p> Wed, 16 Feb 2022 14:23:20 +0000 shirley.cardenas@mcgill.ca 286046 at /newsroom