What is honour based abuse?
Honour based abuse is any crime or incident
that has or may have been committed to protect or defend the honour
of the family and/or the community.
It happens when abusers feel someone has
dishonoured or brought shame on the family and/or community with
their actual or perceived immoral behaviour.
Honour based abuse can take many forms, including:
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, always
call 999.
This has nothing to do with culture or
religion, but is simple criminality. There is no honour in harming
or threatening to harm anyone.
There are many triggers for honour based
abuse, including:
- having a boyfriend or girlfriend
- being too westernised
- wanting an education
Anyone can experience honour based abuse, regardless of their
gender, age, religion or cultural background. There can be multiple
abusers and it often happens with the collusion of family members
or members of the community.
Where can I get help for me or somebody else?
Help is out there and you will be taken seriously.
If you or someone you know is in immediate
danger, always call 999.
To talk to us about your own situation or
report your concerns about someone else when it’s not an emergency,
call us on 0800 40 50 40 or text us on
61016.
You can also call your local police on
101, visit your nearest police station or speak to
a police officer or police community support officer in person.
Please be ready to give as many details as you
can, including:
- Your name or the name of the person you are calling about
- Where you or the person you are calling about live
- Why you are concerned about your own or someone else’s welfare
and safety
If you don’t want to speak to the police, tell someone you trust.
This could be a friend, your GP, other healthcare professional,
social worker or support worker.