Reasons of female children for elope with boyfriends in Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka

Since Anuradhapura is a common district for elope of girl children with boyfriends, all medico legal examination forms of such cases examined by the author during last two years, were perused in order to find the reason for elope and about the awareness of legal age limit for the marriage. During the year 2015 and 2016, ninety-eight girls below the age of 18 who participated with elope had been examined by the author for medico legal purposes. They were within the age limit of 12 to 17 years. Forty two (42.8%) girls were not aware about the legal age for marriage. Commonest reason for elope was the disapproval of love affair by parents in 54 cases (56%). Other causes were; girls could not live at home in 17 cases (17%), no special reason in 16 cases (16%), issues related to sexual activities in 5 cases (5%) and miscellaneous reasons in 6 cases (6%).To minimize the elopement, psychosocial management of above five broad causes will be important. Research on reasons for elope from families and boyfriends will provide all groups of reasons for elopement in underage girls in the district.