Early Marriage among Adolescents in Oenino Village, Oenino Subdistrict, South Central Timor Regency, and Its Implications for Family Guidance and Counseling Programs

Abstract

This study examines early marriage among adolescents in Oenino Village, Oenino Subdistrict, South Central Timor
Regency, and its implications for family guidance and counseling programs. This practice remains widespread and constitutes a
serious social problem in the area. The study addressed three questions: (1) what factors cause early marriage among adolescents; (2) what impact early marriage has on their marital, family, health, psychological, and social conditions; and (3) how early marriage implicates family guidance and counseling programs. This study employed a qualitative descriptive method with 20
research subjects selected through purposive sampling: 10 adolescents who underwent early marriage, 9 parents of the couples,
and 1 village official. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and documentation study, then analyzed through
data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with source triangulation used to establish data validity. The results show
that early marriage in Oenino Village is driven by three interrelated factors: family economic hardship, weak parental supervision
that in some cases led to premarital pregnancy, and strong customary norms that regard early marriage as ordinary. Early
marriage was found to affect marital relations through conflict and domestic violence, to increase the family's economic burden,
to raise health risks such as postpartum hemorrhage and child stunting, to cause psychological pressure following school dropout, and to restrict adolescents'social freedom, particularly for girls. These findings imply the need for a planned and structured Family Guidance and Counseling program, delivered through collaboration among the village government, customary and religious leaders, and related health and education institutions.