Honor-Based Abuse in England and Wales: Who Does What to Whom?

Lis Bates

doi:10.1177/1077801220952168

Abstract

Key findings are presented from an empirical study profiling 1,474 cases of honor-based abuse (HBA) known to police and victim services in England and Wales. Thematic and quantitative (regression) analyses were used to investigate whether and how HBA differed from other forms of domestic abuse and forced marriage. A new typology of HBA is proposed, based principally on the relationship(s) between victim and perpetrator(s). Interpreted within an overarching lens of gender-based violence, it is argued that Type 1 (partner abuse) and Type 3 (partner plus family abuse) are culturally specific forms of domestic abuse, whereas Type 2 (family abuse) is distinct.

Highlights

The lack of comprehensive data makes it difficult to understand [honor-based abuse] and formulate appropriate policy responses.—Parliament, House of Commons (2008, p. 19).So concluded the U.K
A key finding of this study is the evidence it provides of the strong involvement of intimate partners—both alone (Type 1) and with others (Type 3)—in cases identified by professionals as honor-based abuse (HBA)
This study has shown that, HBA should rather be seen as a pattern of incidents and acts, and rarely as a one-off incident

Summary

Introduction

The lack of comprehensive data makes it difficult to understand [honor-based abuse] and formulate appropriate policy responses.—Parliament, House of Commons (2008, p. 19).So concluded the U.K. In England and Wales, over the past 20 years, government policy has increasingly responded to specific forms of HBA, forced marriage ( a criminal offense) (Her Majesty’s Government [HMG], 2014). There has been media coverage of the highest risk and highest profile cases of so-called “honor killings” (e.g., the cases of Banaz Mahmood in London and Rucksana Naz in Derby; Siddiqui, 2014) Such cases have raised the political and public profile of HBA but, at the same time, have “exoticized” it as something “other,” polarizing it from mainstream forms of domestic and intimate partner abuse (Thiara & Gill, 2010). Forced marriage often occurs in the context of HBA, sometimes occurring as a “corrective” to perceived dishonorable behavior, such as being gay or choosing a partner the family considers unsuitable (Samad, 2010). Since HBA and forced marriage are often used interchangeably in the literature, work relating to both is reviewed

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Conclusion