Honour Based Abuse and Karma Nirvana

Read more about Honour Based Abuse and Karma Nirvana.

What is Honour Based Abuse?

The term ‘Honour Based Abuse’ is used internationally to describe abuse carried out to ‘protect’ or ‘defend’ the honour of the family and/or community. Honour Based Abuse can include different practices: behaviours to maintain the ‘honour’:

Expectations and Control of another person’s behaviour, in order to protect perceived honour-related norms, cultural and/or religious beliefs
Punishment of a person if it is believed that they have brought shame or dishonour
Shaming of individuals to prevent a person from disclosing abuse due to stigma and fear of bringing perceived shame if they speak out, or as a method to control individuals to conform.

There is currently no statutory definition of Honour Based Abuse in England and Wales, but Karma Nirvana alongside othner sector partners are campaigning for the following definition to be added to the statue book:

An incident or pattern of violence, threats of violence, intimidation, coercion, control or abuse (including but not limited to psychological, physical, sexual, economic, spiritual, faith-related or emotional abuse) motivated by the perpetrator’s perception that an individual has shamed, or may shame, the perpetrator, the family, or community or has otherwise broken, or may break, the perceived norms of the community’s accepted behaviours, including by speaking out about the abuse and where the perception of shame may also prevent a victim from accessing support or help.

Read the full briefing

Honour Based Abuse at its centre, has expectations set by honour related norms. The victim may be expected to live by these expectations, and experience honour-based oppression. The perpetrator/s will use control, both overt and subtle, to ensure that the victim ‘behaves’ in line with expectations.

If the victim does not comply with expectation, the perpetrator may punish the victim to regain control or regain honour and standing within the family and/or community.

Shame, and often guilt, is central to a victim’s experience. Perpetrators often use shame and guilt to maintain control and prevent a victim from disclosing abuse.

There is currently little accurate data on the true extent of Honour Based Abuse and its impact on women and girls – its true scale, scope and prevalence is not known, and so it remains a thriving but invisible problem.

There are many misconceptions about Honour Based Abuse being associated with certain cultures or religions, and our work is dedicated to challenging and correcting such beliefs. Honour Based Abuse is not a cultural tradition or religious practice; it is a form of abuse that can occur within any community, regardless of faith or background. Abuse is abuse – no matter who the perpetrator is or how they justify it.

How should I handle cases with HBA?

Do not disclose details to family members of a potential victim: Victims may be at extreme risk if their disclosures are not handled with care. You need to ensure their safety and confidentiality are prioritised.
Be patient with victims: Victims may be reluctant to disclose their experiences and find it hard to explain the abuse they are facing. Professionals need to listen non-judgmentally and create a safe space for them to share their stories.
Contact our helpline: For full support, contact our free helpline to understand more about how to effectively support victims.

About Karma Nirvana

In 1993, Karma Nirvana became the first specialist charity for victims and survivors of Honour Based Abuse in the UK.

Since then, we have led the campaign against Honour Based Abuse – supporting, empowering and educating those impacted, so they can live a life free of abuse.

We run the national Honour Based Abuse Helpline, producing data on Honour Based Abuse. We also train frontline practitioners and professionals, and we campaign for change, working with parliamentarians and policy-makers.