A Critical Exploration of the Divergence in ‘Honour’-Based Abuse Characteristics Across Geographical Origins

Abstract

The prevalence of ‘honour'-based abuse (HBA) in the United Kingdom (UK) continues to rise. However, identifying HBA is difficult due to survivor's cultural secrecy and low awareness among professional organisations. As the concept of ‘honour’ varies across cultures, this study examined HBA characteristics in relation to survivor's geographical origins. A UK-based charity, Savera UK, provided pre-coded data on 149 HBA cases. Data was divided into three distinct geographical origins (Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African). Chi-square analyses found eight significant differences, including ‘language barrier’, which was considerably more prevalent in the Middle Eastern group than in the South Asian group. ‘Perpetrator is a family member’ was also more prevalent in the Middle Eastern and South Asian samples than in the African sample. These distinctions emphasize significant differences within HBA, which may aid its identification and increase comprehension in this field. We discuss study limitations and future research ideas.