Help for victims of domestic abuse

Sections

Black and ethnic minority victims

Honour based violence / forced marriage

Female genital mutilation

Gypsy and travellers

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender

Male victims

Are you suffering from domestic abuse?

If you are suffering from domestic abuse, there is help available to you from people who understand what you've been going through and won't blame you or judge you. They will help you make the right choice for yourself and your family.

There are also victim groups that support specific victims such as ethnic minority victims and those from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and gypsy and travellers.

Further information / advice

Victim Support

Women’s Aid

Black and ethnic minority victims.

Domestic violence is not commonly spoken about in general and this problem may be worse in groups suffering from discrimination. Victims may feel they face persecution from within their own family and community if they try to get help. They may believe they have too much to lose by leaving, for example, religious or cultural beliefs may forbid divorce or they may fear their family will disown them.

Individuals may not speak English as their first language so consideration must be given to the range of languages spoken. Agencies should not use family members as translators.

Some individuals may fear they will lose their right to stay in the country if they separate from their partner, and may have been threatened with this by the abuser. They may fear the abuser (having links with another country) will take their children abroad without their consent. If this is the case, please seek legal advice.

Further information / advice

Medway Ravi Centre

Honour based violence / forced marriage

There is a clear distinction between a forced marriage and an arranged marriage. In arranged marriages, the families of both spouses take a leading role in arranging the marriage but the choice whether or not to accept the arrangement remains with the prospective spouses.

In forced marriage, one or both spouses do not (or, in the case of some adults
with disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and duress is involved. "Duress" can include physical, psychological, sexual, financial and emotional pressure.

Parents who force their children to marry often justify their behaviour as protecting their children, building stronger families and preserving cultural or religious traditions. They often do not see anything wrong in their actions. Forced marriage cannot be justified on religious grounds; every major faith condemns it and freely given consent to a marriage is a prerequisite of all religions.

The terms “honour crime” or “honour-based violence” or “izzat” embrace a variety of crimes of violence (mainly but not exclusively against women), including assault, imprisonment and murder, where the person is being punished by their family or their community. They are being punished for actually, or allegedly, undermining what the family or community believes to be the correct code of behaviour. In break this correct code of behaviour, the person shows that they have not been properly controlled to conform by their family and this is to the “shame” or “dishonour” of the family.

Some of the key motives that have been identified behind forced marriage and honour based violence are:

Controlling unwanted behaviour and sexuality (including perceived promiscuity, or being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) - particularly the behaviour and sexuality of women
Controlling unwanted behaviour, for example, alcohol and drug use, wearing make-up or behaving in what is perceived to be a “Westernised manner”
Preventing “unsuitable” relationships, for example, outside the ethnic, cultural, religious or caste group
Protecting “family honour” or “izzat”
Responding to peer group or family pressure
Attempting to strengthen family links
Achieving financial gain
Ensuring land, property and wealth remain within the family
Protecting perceived cultural ideals
Protecting perceived religious ideals which are misguided
Ensuring care for a child or adult with special needs when parents or existing carers are unable to fulfil that role
Assisting claims for UK residence and citizenship
Long-standing family commitments.

Further information / advice

Foreign and Commonwealth Office – Victims of forced marriage

Government Equalities Office – So-called honour-based violence

Female genital mutilation

Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children. The practice also violates a person's rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.

In the United Kingdom there was a review of the Female Circumcision Prohibition Act 1985 resulting in the female genital mutilation Act 2003. This Act strengthened the 1985 Act by making it illegal to take girls or women who are UK citizen or nationals for FGM to another country (even if the procedure is not illegal in that country) to carry out FGM (it is illegal to carry out FGM within UK) and increased the penalty term in prison from five to fourteen. There is also an integrated legal approach to deal with the practice of female genital mutilation, which was considered a form of child abuse and could be used as the basis for intervention to safeguard a child's welfare.

Further information / advice

FGM National Clinical Group

Forward UK

Gypsy and travellers

As Gypsies and Travellers live on the whole in a closed community, there is a tendency to try to resolve disputes within the extended family. For many issues this is an effective way of dealing with problems – not so for domestic abuse.

Cultural expectations can also make it difficult for domestic abuse to be challenged, for example, belief that many men are violent and a woman has to accept such behaviour. Taboos also exist against interfering between spouses where violence and abuse occurs and there are expectations that marriage is for life - women who leave marriage may be ostracised from their community.

The difficulties of Gypsies and Travellers living with domestic abuse can be made worse by attitudes and reactions of people outside their communities, Gypsy and Travellers may feel unable to contact the police or other agencies for support.

However there are a few specialist national organisations that can offer support to gypsy and travellers along side all the other general services that can support people affected by domestic abuse within Kent and Medway.

Further information / advice

Friends, Families and Travellers

Solace Women’s Aid – Irish Travellers Outreach and Resettlement Service

One Voice 4 Travellers

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender

Violence and abuse is as common within lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender relationships as heterosexual relationships. It is estimated that 1 in 4 have been a victim of domestic violence or abuse.

It is important to acknowledge that the types of abuse endured may not differ from heterosexual relationships, but that resources and support networks do. The fear of being 'outed' is a significant barrier to the reporting of domestic violence within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

If local enquiries are made by people or agencies trying to help, it should not be assumed that family or friends know about the individual's sexuality.

Further information / advice

Broken Rainbow

Male victims

Men have the same rights as women to be safe in their own homes and are protected by exactly the same laws as women. Of all the services available to assist victims, it is usually only refuges that are gender specific.

Many men feel like they are the only ones who have ever experienced domestic violence and can feel ashamed and embarrassed. If you are experiencing abuse it doesn't make you 'weak' to ask for help.

Men are often worried about their children. The family courts deal with child contact disputes on a case-by-case basis. Evidence of domestic violence will be taken into account and decisions about residence and contact will be made accordingly.