A bill to outlaw child marriages in New York state by raising the minimum age for marriage to 18 – or 17 with judicial consent (A.5524-B) - passed the state Assembly on Thursday.

The Assembly’s legislation abolishes any possibility of marriage for 14-, 15- and 16-year-olds. It would require court approval, pursuant to specified guidelines, under which a judge must consider specific factors, such as the existence of any undue power imbalance and the existence of domestic violence, prior to permitting a 17-year-old to marry, according to Assemblywoman Addie Jenne, D-Theresa, one of the bill’s co-sponsors.

Child marriage is not an uncommon occurrence, according to Assemblywoman Jenne. Between 2000 and 2010, nearly 3,900 child marriages took place in New York and, of those, 40 involved 14- and 15-year-olds.

Nearly 85 percent of those marriages involved minor females marrying adult males, Jenne said.

The Health Department indicated between 2010 and 2014 there were 10 marriages in St. Lawrence County with a spouse under 18 years of age.

Assemblywoman Jenne said the legislation she cosponsored also addresses concerns about forced marriages of young teens.

“Coercion, bullying, ostracism and beatings have sometimes been used to force children to marry against their will,” Jenne said. “These types of marriages come with a host of known issues and can have a lifetime of consequences. Females who marry as children may have fewer opportunities to pursue an education.”

In addition, young women who are married before 18 are three times more likely to be beaten by their spouse than women who marry at 21 or older, according to the assemblywoman. Most domestic violence shelters cannot accept unaccompanied minors under the age of 18, potentially trapping children in violent situations, she said.