Identifying social, psychological and physiological factors related to the early marriage of girls in Qom a grounded theory

This study explains the early marriages of girls in Qom and the related social, psychological and physiological factors. The research applied the methodology of grounded theory; and overall, about 38 women in Qom who married under 18 were interviewed in in-depth semi-structured interviews. The results of the research reveal that the early marriage conditions for the girls in social aspect are respectively: meeting appropriate and acceptable suitor, compulsion, freedom in decision making, fear of scandal, the inappropriate and unorganized status of the family, and being interested in starting a family; social-psychological aspects are: fear of staying single, psychological preparation and skills readiness, escaping from the stressful condition of family; and psychological aspect are: premarital emotional bond; and finally physiological aspects are: physical fitness, and sexual need. It should be added that the family traditions and customs, as well as religious believes, were the grounded conditions for girls’ early marriages. The facilitator factors from the sociological viewpoint are: social interactions, inappropriate economic status; social-psychological viewpoints are: lack of affections in family, big age gap with the parents, parents’ concerns of inappropriate moral status in society; and the psychological viewpoint is the lack of correct criteria for marriage. The strategies applied were collective consist of social supports, legal measures, interactions of parties in creating optimal communication, and treatment and individual strategies are conflict management, passivity and retaliatory. The consequences of girls’ early marriage include economic problems, divorce, dropout, lack of communicational skills, physical and health problems for mother and fetus.