Child Marriages in the Roma Community in Croatia

Rad je usmjeren na razumijevanje pojave dječjih brakova kao prakse koja grubo krši ljudska i dječja prava djevojčica i dječaka, ugrožava njihovu dobrobit i sprječava ih u ostvarivanju njihovih punih potencijala. U uvodnom dijelu analiziraju se uzroci i posljedice dječjih brakova te se iznose dostupni podaci o raširenosti ove pojave u regiji. Slijedom dostupnih istraživanja na području Europe koja ukazuju na povećanu zastupljenost pojave u romskoj zajednici, a uzimajući u obzir nedostatak domaćih istraživanja i literature o ovoj temi, u radu su predstavljeni rezultati provedenog kvalitativnog istraživanja čiji je opći cilj bio dobiti uvid u osobno iskustvo odraslih žena Romkinja povezano s njihovim stupanjem u bračnu zajednicu prije navršene osamnaeste godine života. Podaci su prikupljani metodom polustrukturiranog intervjua te analizirani postupkom tematske analize. Rezultati istraživanja poklapaju se s dostupnim znanjima u ovom području, ali i dodatno artikuliraju isprepletenost različitih čimbenika od razine samih djevojaka i roditelja do razine normi u romskoj zajednici. Slijedom toga, raspravlja se i o javno političkom okviru, a predložene su aktivnosti usmjerene na prevenciju prakse dječjih brakova u sustavu obrazovanja te aktivnosti u zajednici i sa zajednicom usmjerenih na pružanje podrške mladima, ali i na mijenjanje normi koje podržavaju ovu praksu.This paper focuses on understanding the emergence of child marriage as a practice that grossly violates human and children\u27s rights of girls and boys, threatens their well-being and prevents them from reaching their full potential. The first section analyzes the causes and consequences of child marriages and presents available data on the prevalence of this phenomenon in the region. Based on the available research in Europe, which indicates an increased prevalence of the phenomenon in the Roma community, and taking into account the lack of domestic research and literature on the topic, this paper presents the results of a qualitative study aimed at gaining insight into the personal experience of adult Roma women associated with their entry into marriage before the age of eighteen. The data were collected by semi-structured interview method and analyzed by the thematic analysis procedure. The results of the research coincide with the available knowledge in this field, but also additionally articulate the interplay of various factors from the level of the girls and parents themselves to the level of norms in the Roma community. Consequently, the public policy framework is also discussed, and activities aimed at preventing the practice of child marriage in the education system and activities within the community aimed at providing support to young people, but also at changing the norms which support this practice, have been proposed