Last updated:
23rd June 2023
'Honour' based abuse
For some communities, the concept of ‘honour’ is prized above the safety and well-being of individuals. To compromise a family’s ‘honour’ is to bring dishonour and shame – which can have severe consequences.
This is sometimes used to justify emotional abuse, physical abuse, disownment and in some cases even murder.
It can lead to a deeply embedded form of coercive control, built on expectations about acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. Control is often established without overt violence against the victim. For example, family members may threaten to kill themselves or ostracise the victim.
Specialist support and help can be accessed through the Wokingham Domestic Abuse Service as well as national services including Karma Nirvana, and the Halo Project.
