Honour Based Abuse

1. What is Honour Based Abuse?

Honor based abuse (sometimes referred to as ‘Honour Crime’ or ‘Izzat’) is abuse carried out when a family or community believes the adult has behaved in a manner that undermines what they consider to be the correct code of conduct.  

There is no statutory definition of honour based abuse.

The Karma Nirvan’s Survivor Ambassador Panel has developed its own definition:

“Any incident or pattern of controlling; coercive; manipulative; intimidating; or threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse perpetrated by one or more family, extended family, and/or community members and/or current/former intimate partners in response to perceived or alleged transgressions of accepted behaviours. While most often perpetrated against women and girls, anyone can experience honour based abuse regardless of age, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, or gender, including men and boys.” 

The nature and range of the abusive behaviour can vary widely and can include criminal offences, such as:

• Physical assault;
• Sexual assault;
• Hate crime;
• Controlling or coercive behaviour;
• Forced marriage;
• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM);
• Virginity Testing and Hymenoplasty;
• Abduction;
• Imprisonment
• Murder.

2. Risk Factors

An adult is at risk of honour based abuse if they behave (or are perceived to have behaved) in a manner that undermines what their family or community considers to be the correct code of conduct.

Such behaviours can vary across families and communities, but examples could be:

• Attitude and beliefs (including ideological differences);
• Appearance (e.g. hair, make-up or dress);
• Alcohol or drug use;
• Kissing or intimacy in a public place;
• Having a relationship outside of marriage;
• Having a non-heterosexual relationship;
• Inter-faith relationships or friendships (or same faith, but different ethnicity);
• Pre-marital sex;
• Pregnancy outside of marriage;
• Being a victim of rape;
• Defying parental authority;
• Rejecting a forced marriage;
• Reporting/fleeing domestic abuse;
• Leaving a spouse and/or seeking divorce;
• Extra-marital affairs;
• Accessing education or employment.

3. Safeguarding Response

If the adult appears to be at immediate risk of harm, the situation should be treated as an emergency and the police alerted using 999.

The adult may also require medical attention, if there are signs of a physical injury.

Adults that are the victims of honour based abuse are likely to have had traumatic experiences, even if they do not recognise them as such or believe that somehow the abuse was justified by their own behaviour. Responses from a trauma informed perspective should always be considered, and the adult made central to the safeguarding process and any decisions that are made.

Honour based abuse is often part of a wider pattern of abuse, rather than a one-off incident. The adult may be experiencing controlling or coercive behaviours and other efforts to control and monitor them. For example, physical, psychological or financial abuse.

The safeguarding response should be mindful that engaging with family and community members could increase risk of ongoing harm to the adult, including further incidents of honour based abuse. Where the adult at risk needs support to engage in the safeguarding process, including an interpreter, this may be best provided by an independent advocate or specialist organisation.

Even if the adult does not repeat the behaviour that led to the honour based abuse, the notion of shame may persist within their family or community for a long time. This can place them, and anyone they associate with, at an ongoing risk of harm. For example, if they enter a new relationship or have a child.

4. Statutory Guidance and Further Information

Statutory guidance

Multi-agency statutory guidance for dealing with forced marriage and Multi-agency practice guidelines: Handling cases of forced marriage

Further Information

CPS: So-Called Honour-Based Abuse and Forced Marriage: Guidance on Identifying and Flagging Cases

National Support Agencies

Karma Nirvana website (includes helpline)