Key agent and survivor recommendations for intervention in honour-based violence in the UK

ABSTRACT

This paper concerns recommendations for intervention in honour-based violence (“HBV”) as recommended by individuals who face such violence in their everyday lives. Utilising data extracted from interviews conducted with 30 key agents and 8 South-Asian female survivors in the UK, this paper will argue that UK public agencies are struggling to cope with how to respond to HBV. This is despite the UK government recognising shortcomings in the support for victims in the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee report in 2008. In particular, participants identified that (a) the police, healthcare, and social services are particularly poor at supporting victims; (b) public sector workers require appropriate training and awareness on HBV; (c) education on HBV and forced marriages is absent in schools, colleges, and universities; and (d) more needs to be done to engage and educate communities about HBV and where victims can access support.

KEYWORDS:

• Honour-based violence
• intervention
• UK government
• recommendations

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mohammad Mazher Idriss

Mohammad Mazher Idriss is Lecturer in Law at Manchester Law School, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He is an expert on honour-based violence, forced marriages, and domestic violence in South-Asian communities. He has written extensively on these issues from the perspective of UK law and intervention.