Most 14-year-olds spend their days in school or logged onto virtual class, playing sports, video games, texting and hanging out with friends. They probably have a few chores to complete or make cash babysitting or lawn mowing.
That's a life Sherry Johnson could only dream to have when she was that age.
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"I was taking care of children," said Johnson. "I was cooking dinner. I was taking kids to school."
By the time Johnson turned 14, she had been married for three years already.
She had been raped several times before her age hit double digits. At 10, she became pregnant by a senior member of her church. When child welfare began asking questions, Johnson’s mother married off her daughter, then 11, to her 20-year-old rapist.
"I blamed myself for everything that happened," Johnson told WRAL News, recounting her wedding her day. She said she learned how to be a wife and mom by watching what others in her church did.
Johnson, who is from Florida, is an advocate for raising the age for child marriage. Her focus is now on North Carolina, which along with Alaska, has the lowest minimum age for marriage set by statute – 14 years old.
A look by the legislature
Over the last five years, half of the states have enacted reforms to end or limit child marriage. North Carolina's is being reconsidered now.
Bills have been introduced in both legislative chambers – House Bill 41 and Senate Bill 35 – to raise the age to get married to 18.
Under current law, 14- and 15-year-olds who are pregnant or already parents are allowed to get married if a judge approves. Teens ages 16 and 17 can say “I do” with parental or guardian consent.
“Child marriage is wrong," said Rep. Brian Turner, D-Buncombe, one of the primary sponsors of the House bill. "This bill will help put an end to a cruel practice that many times results in human trafficking and teenage girls being placed in dangerous relationships with limited to no legal protections."
Both bills were introduced in February and are in committees.
The last time the law was looked at was in 2001 when the age was raised from 13 to 14.
Minors marrying adults
Researchers in North Carolina reviewed marriage license applications in 50 counties around the state over almost two decades, from 2000 to 2019. The researchers found more than 4,000 minors had applied to be married.
The majority of the time, they weren't getting married to another minor, though. According to the International Center for Research on Women, 93 percent of the applications listed an adult marrying a minor. In almost three out of every five marriages, had the pair not been married, the relationship would be considered statutory rape, a felony.
The largest age difference was 40 years and occurred in 2002, when a 57-year-old applied to marry a 17-year-old. Over 200 minors married an adult at least 10 years older than themselves.
Finding her voice
Johnson's role as an advocate is derived from her own journey. She was kicked out of school three times for being pregnant. Finally, at 16, she went to an attorney to seek help, wanting out of her marriage. The lawyer told her he couldn't represent her because she was a minor.
"He actually put his neck on the line with his bar license to help me get a divorce," said Johnson.
By the time it was filed and finalized, Johnson was 17. She had six children.
She says the cycle of abuse continued because she had been traumatized by rape and forced marriage. She says the law, as it is, traumatizes and traps children.
"They can't own their own car. Why? Because they are under 18," explained Johnson. "They can't go open a bank account, or they don't take care of bills, because they aren't 18. If you don't protect that child now, you'll end up taking care of them later. They'll be leaning on ways of the state taking care of them."
Johnson completed her GED at age 54. She still lives in Florida, where the age of marriage is now 16.