I DO?! But what if I don’t?? – Ep. 59

A marriage license before a driver’s license? In some states in the U.S. – YES – it's totally legal, even today. And if you think these unions are simply young lovers who can’t wait to “make it official,” think again. Research shows 86% of childhood marriages involve girls married to adult men, and in many of those cases, the age difference is vast. The co-hosts take a closer look at the stats and share true stories of truly criminal marriages in this edition of The Escape Pod.    Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:  Topic #1     3:21 Intro to topic: escaping childhood/forced marriages  Topic #2     9:40 Categories of laws that allow for childhood marriages  Topic #3   24:16 Breakdown of childhood marriage stats  Topic #4   30:57 Survivors’ stories  Topic #5   46:14 Escapism, co-host-style!    Resources & Links  I was a child bride at 15 & forced to marry 30-year-old man by my own dad - I was raped everyday to get me pregnant | The US Sun  Digital Content - Unchained At Last   Child Marriage: A Violation of Child Rights | Save The Children  Understanding forced and child marriage | Walk Free  Child USA: Report on Childhood Marriage Data and Law  Bill to End Childhood Marriage in SD Clears First Hurdle  Photo credit: Lorna Roach  Miss Galaxy Contest Photo  Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.   https://www.escapepod.live    Do you have a story that you want to share with EscapePod? Or do you just want to reach out to us with your comments and thoughts?   General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live   Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live