By Michelle Perry
Honour-Based Violence (HBV) refers to crimes or abusive incidents committed with the motive of protecting or defending the perceived ‘honour’ of a family or community. These acts are often used to assert control, enforce conformity, or punish individuals, typically women and girls, who are seen as having brought ‘shame’ upon the family or group.
A common misconception is that HBV only occurs within specific cultures or religious communities. This is simply not true. HBV can occur in any community, regardless of cultural, religious, or ethnic background. Abuse is abuse, no matter where it happens or who commits it. Anyone, regardless of gender or background, can be both a victim and a perpetrator.
Forms of Honour-Based Abuse
Honour-Based Violence (HBV) is a form of domestic abuse that can take many forms. It is often used to control someone’s behaviour and choices, under the false justification of protecting a family or community’s ‘honour’. Below are some of the ways HBV can be carried out:
- Physical abuse involves any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person. In the context of HBV, this can include beatings, hitting, slapping, or other forms of physical punishment used to force someone into obedience or conformity.
- Sexual abuse includes acts such as rape, sexual assault, or any non-consensual sexual activity. Within HBV, this may be used as a form of punishment or control, often carried out by someone the victim knows, including family members.
- Psychological and emotional abuse refers to behaviour that damages an individual’s mental well-being. This might include threats, intimidation, isolation, verbal abuse, or constant criticism to make someone feel worthless or afraid.
- Financial abuse involves controlling a person’s access to money or resources. Victims of HBV may be denied financial independence as a way to make them dependent on their abuser and unable to leave the situation.
- Coercive control is a pattern of behaviour that seeks to intimidate, isolate, and dominate a person. This can involve threats, humiliation, and manipulation, often making the victim feel trapped and powerless.
In addition to the above, HBV can also involve:
- Sexual harassment, which includes unwanted sexual comments, advances, or behaviour. In HBV cases, this may be used to shame or humiliate individuals seen as dishonouring the family.
- Threats to kill are sometimes made to frighten or control someone who is perceived to have brought shame to the family. These threats are extremely serious and often indicate a high risk to the person’s safety.
- Murder, often referred to as so-called “honour killings,” can tragically occur when someone is killed by a family member to restore perceived lost honour. This is one of the most extreme and devastating forms of HBV.
- Forced marriage happens when one or both individuals are made to marry without their full and free consent. Victims are often pressured or threatened into marriage by their families.
- Pressure to leave the country can be used to isolate a victim from support networks or to force them into marriage, punishment, or re-education abroad.
- Restrictions on clothing, behaviour, or relationships are forms of controlling a person’s freedom and identity. This can include being told what to wear, how to behave, or who to interact with, often under the threat of punishment.
- Punishment for having relationships outside the community or even within the community, but with someone disapproved of by the family, is a common trigger for HBV. Victims may be verbally abused, physically harmed, or even forced to end relationships against their will.
Something as seemingly simple as wearing clothes considered “inappropriate” by one’s family, or expressing personal autonomy in relationships or lifestyle choices, can provoke HBV in certain environments.
The Reality of Abuse
There is currently no definitive data on the true scale of Honour-Based Violence and other forms of abuse against women and girls. Many incidents go unreported due to fear, shame, stigma, or lack of support. This silence makes it harder to address the issue and protect those at risk.
The Bottom Line
No one has the right to harm or control you, physically, emotionally, or psychologically. Abuse should never be justified in the name of ‘honour,’ tradition, or family values. Everyone deserves to live safely, free from fear and violence.
