Emotional and Mental Effects
Forced sex and physical beatings not only effect the bodies of the young girls, but it also effects them emotionally. The girls, at ages as young as twelve years are not mentally ready to give birth and raise a child. These are children that only just a year ago were playing with friends and going to school. They were not worrying about raising a child or avoiding the next brutal beating from their husbands. From these new situations and problems, the girls have no idea how to cope, and as a result, the mental health of the brides declines. Their happiness and carefree child attitude is suddenly transformed into fear, panic, and depression to name a few.
Posttraumatic stress is another mental affect of child marriage. Posttraumatic stress is described as, "People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they're no longer in danger"(NIMH RSS). Post traumatic stress is a result of rape, torture, being held captive, child abuse and many others, but all of the causes listed are results of many cases of child marriage. As a result of this post traumatic stress, the girls and women constantly feel as if they are in danger even if they have escaped the marriage.
While many may say that it is easy to just leave the marriage and move on, India's culture isn't the same as the western world and those that are divorced are considered outcasts, never to marry again. This outcasting isolates the women and makes them feel unwanted and useless. This has then resulted in many woman mentioning the desire to commit suicide and end their emotional misery. They have no one to love them and no one that cares for them, not even their own families.
Posttraumatic stress is another mental affect of child marriage. Posttraumatic stress is described as, "People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they're no longer in danger"(NIMH RSS). Post traumatic stress is a result of rape, torture, being held captive, child abuse and many others, but all of the causes listed are results of many cases of child marriage. As a result of this post traumatic stress, the girls and women constantly feel as if they are in danger even if they have escaped the marriage.
While many may say that it is easy to just leave the marriage and move on, India's culture isn't the same as the western world and those that are divorced are considered outcasts, never to marry again. This outcasting isolates the women and makes them feel unwanted and useless. This has then resulted in many woman mentioning the desire to commit suicide and end their emotional misery. They have no one to love them and no one that cares for them, not even their own families.
Most cases of posttraumatic stress seem to be from war veterans, but this chart shows that battered women and abused children have a near 50% PTSD occurrence.
Young girls feel depressed about the responsibilities they have to carry as wives and mothers at a young age.
It is beyond them to provide for their family and they worry how to manage issues while also knowing that they could be abused at any time.
It is beyond them to provide for their family and they worry how to manage issues while also knowing that they could be abused at any time.