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Revised practice guidelines on handling cases published (July 2009)
These have been designed to provide step-by-step advice to frontline workers and have been produced to complement the statutory guidance (that came into force with the launch of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act) in November 2008), which sets out the broader strategic responsibilities of chief executives and senior managers in tackling forced marriage locally.
The forced marriage multi-agency guidelines cover:
- the responsibilities and obligations of different agencies working victims
- information on protecting, advising and supporting victims
- information on making referrals to other agencies and where to turn to for help
- and although forced marriage is primarily an issue of violence against women, the guidelines provide advice and information for practitioners assisting both male and female victims of forced marriage.
The guidelines can be downloaded from the 'Information for professionals' page on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website.
The right to choose: Multi-agency statutory guidance on forced marriage was published on 25 November 2008. It describes strategic responsibilities of statutory agencies and will be supplemented by revised practitioner guidelines early in 2009. All schools and local authorities should be aware of the functions outlined within the guidance and ensure that they are meeting the requirements which complement existing guidance. The guidance followed a consultation allowing practitioners and the public to comment on the draft guidance.
Awareness raising materials (June 2008) - see details below
A forced marriage is a marriage conducted without the full consent of both parties and where duress (emotional pressure in addition to physical abuse) is a factor. It is an entirely separate issue from arranged marriage, and the two should not be confused. In an arranged or assisted marriage, the families take a role in choosing and introducing the marriage partners, but the marriage is entered into freely by both people, without duress being a factor. In a forced marriage, this consent does not exist.
In 2004 the Government's definition of domestic violence was extended to include acts perpetrated by extended family members as well as intimate partners. Consequently, acts such as forced marriage and other so-called 'honour crimes', which can include abduction and homicide, can now come under the definition of domestic violence. Many of these acts are committed against children. The Government's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) produced guidelines, in conjunction with the DCSF, on how to identify and support young people threatened by forced marriage. These are available below.
Resources
Awareness raising materials for schools and young people
DCSF Ministers have written to schools, local authorities and Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs). They strongly encourage schools to use this set of materials to raise awareness of the important child protection issues surrounding forced marriage and to provide information about sources of support.
Guidance
Guidance for education practitioners *
Guidance for social workers *
Statutory guidance on forced marriage, setting out the responsibilities of agencies dealing with forced marriage issues, is currently being developed by the Forced Marriage Unit. This will be consulted on over the summer and will come into force in the Autumn. The practice guidelines above, marked * will be updated and re-issued in the Autumn/Winter.
Procedure
If there are concerns that a child (male or female) is in danger of a forced marriage, local agencies and professionals should contact the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), where experienced caseworkers are able to offer support and guidance, by calling 020 7008 0151 or by visiting the FMU page of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. The police and children's social care should also be contacted.
All those involved should bear in mind that mediation as a response to forced marriage can be extremely dangerous. Refusal to go through with a forced marriage has, in the past, been linked to so-called 'honour crimes'.
Associated documents
Forced marriage: Ministerial letter
(887.9Kb)
Forced marriage guidance: Social workers
(629.7Kb)
Forced marriage guidance: Education
(313.6Kb)
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Last updated on 02/07/2009
