We’re raising awareness of different forms of abuse. Why? Because we can’t address what we don’t talk about and we want everyone to feel safe and supported to seek help if they need it.
We want to start meaningful conversations and highlight the help available to put a stop to abuse, of all kinds, both now and in the future.
Today we’re focusing on honour-based violence.
What is honour-based violence?
In some communities the idea of ‘honour’ is very important. If this ‘honour’ is seen to be compromised, it can result in severe punishment for the person deemed responsible. This is known as honour-based violence, an umbrella term to describe a collection of practices used to control a family member and ‘protect’ beliefs.
It’s usually defined as ‘a crime or incident which has or may have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or community’.
Like other types of abuse, honour-based violence takes many different forms. Women and young girls are the most common victims; however it can happen to men and boys too. It can include:
- Physical abuse.
- Emotional abuse, for example monitoring someone’s behaviour, humiliating, or threatening them.
- Being forced to marry someone.
- Being abandoned in a country or being forced to go to another country.
- Forced suicide or murder.
Honour-based violence is a violation of human rights and not acceptable under any circumstances. It’s not defined by age, religious beliefs, sexuality or gender and can happen to anyone. In the UK it’s estimated that 12 honour killings happen each year, but the exact number is unknown.
Help is available
Karma Nirvana is a national charity doing essential work to support victims of honour-based violence. They run a helpline for people in danger and support police, social services and local government. The charity also provides training to increase understanding of honour-based abuse in order to tackle it.
Find out more about them here.
We’re here too
Our Community Safety team are here to help any Abri resident who is experiencing abuse. We can:
- Work with partners to assess risk and put an action plan in place to stop abuse.
- Arrange a management move from a current home to a new, safe one.
- Put additional safety measures in place to secure a home.
- Work with the police to attain protection orders.
If you’re a resident and would like to speak to our Community Safety team, call us on 0300 123 1 567. A member of the team will be in touch with you within 24 hours. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to speak to someone elsewhere, contact the Karma Nirvana UK Helpline on 0800 5999 247. Or call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
If you’re in immediate danger, please call 999.
