5.24 'Honour' Based Abuse |
RELEVANT NATIONAL GUIDANCE
Working Together to Safeguard Children
College of Policing website, Forced Marriage and Honour Based Violence
Forced Marriage Guidance–Home Office – information and practice guidelines for professional protecting, advising and supporting victims. This includes Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance for dealing with forced marriage and Multi-Agency practice guidelines: Handling cases of forced marriage.
NOTE
The Government's updated Tackling Violence against Women and Girls Strategy sets out the government's strategy including planned legislative provisions to tackle issues such as child marriage and 'virginity testing'.RELATED CHAPTERS
Missing Children and Families Procedure
Children from Abroad, including Victims of Modern Slavery, Trafficking and Exploitation Procedure
Child Sexual Exploitation - Pan Lancashire Standard Operating Protocol
Contents
| Introduction | |
| Assessment Tool |
Introduction
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The definition of So-called 'Honour' based abuse is:
A variety of crimes including assault, imprisonment and murder where the person is being punished by their family or community for actually or allegedly undermining what the family or community believes to be the correct code of behaviour and therefore bringing 'shame' or 'dishonour' onto the family or community." (Home Office); - All professionals working with victims of so-called 'honour' based abuse need to be aware of the 'one chance rule'. That is, they may only have one chance to speak to a potential victim and thus they may only have one chance to save a life. This means that all professionals working within statutory agencies need to be aware of their responsibilities and obligations when they come across these cases. When a case of HBA is first reported it is important to obtain as much information as possible as there may not be another opportunity for the individual reporting to make contact. If the victim is allowed to walk out of the door without support being offered, that one chance might be wasted.
Assessment Tool
- The SafeLives Risk Identification Checklist (RIC) & Quick Start Guidance for Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour-Based Violence (DASH).
- Young people, especially those aged 16 and 17, can present specific difficulties to agencies as there may be occasions where it is appropriate to use both child and adult protection frameworks. For example, some 16 and 17 year olds may not wish to enter the care system but prefer to access refuge accommodation. Victims aged 16 and over should be assessed using the SafeLives/DASH Risk Assessment and, if assessed as high risk, referred to the MARAC.
- This Assessment Tool can be used to identify the risk of violence or abuse. Domestic abuse can take many forms but it is usually perpetrated by men towards women in an intimate relationship such as boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife. This checklist can also used for lesbian, gay, bisexual relationships and for situations of "honour?-based violence or family violence. Domestic abuse can include physical, emotional, mental, sexual or financial abuse as well as stalking and harassment. They might be experiencing one or all types of abuse; each situation is unique. It is the combination of behaviours that can be so intimidating. It can occur both during a relationship or after it has ended.
- The purpose of the tool is to give a consistent and simple tool for practitioners who work with adult victims in order to help them identify those who are at high risk of harm and whose cases should be referred to a MARAC meeting in order to manage their risk. If you are concerned about risk to a child or children, you should make a referral to ensure that a full assessment of their safety and welfare is made.
End