So called "Honour or religion based" abuse

What is it?

This type of abuse carries with it all the other ‘typical’ attributes of domestic abuse, however the reasons for it are often motivated and justified by religion, culture and the protection of ‘honour’ within the familial setting.

What does it look like?

It can be seen in whole families or community’s and this can involve forced marriage, forced moves to other countries, social/community/family exclusion. They may be forbidden from;

- Having contact with anyone outside their family/community

- Accessing education

- Seeking employment outside of their family/community

Physical/emotional/sexual/financial and psychological abuse may be present and like other abusive relationships, this too can end in the victim being murdered.

If honour or religion motivated the victim can often be against several perpetrators and even whole communities, which can mean that seeking help and support for safety is all the more difficult. It is likely that they will be monitored more closely, and have little or no support outside of their family or community.

FGM/C (Female genital mutilation/cutting is an extreme form of physical abuse seen in some cultures. You can find more about this topic in physical abuse.