Improving international policy responses to honour-based violence and abuse (HBVA)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Sch for Policy Studies
Abstract
This fellowship builds on my PhD, Honour-based abuse in England and Wales: Who does what to whom?, which for the first time systematically examined hundreds of UK cases of honour-based violence and abuse (HBVA) (Bates, 2017).
In the UK, HBVA is defined by the National Police Chiefs' Council as: "a crime or incident involving violence, threats of violence, intimidation, coercion or abuse (including psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional abuse) which has, or may have been, committed to protect or defend the honour of an individual, family and/or community for alleged or perceived breaches of the family and/or community code of behaviour" (NPCC, 2015). It often occurs in the context of families controlling women's sexuality or autonomy (Sen, 2005).
My PhD research addressed a gap in understanding of HBVA in the UK. Previous literature had identified that there was a lack of data comparing what happened in multiple HBVA cases (Parliament. House of Commons, 2008), that the public understanding of this abuse was skewed towards forced marriage and the most 'sensational' cases of honour killings (Brandon and Hafez, 2008; Gill and Mitra-Kahn, 2010), and that it was an under-reported abuse (HMIC, 2015). Looking at real-life cases gathered from police and victim support services, my PhD profiled the victims and perpetrators, and built a typology of violence which showed the relationship between victim and perpetrator to affect the nature of the abusive behaviour.
As Fellow, I will develop these findings and communicate them to a wider audience - including policy-makers and practitioners in the UK and internationally - so that they can be applied to better identify and support victims of honour-based violence and abuse.
I will do this in three ways. Firstly, I will communicate my findings to academic and research audiences, by writing up analysis of specific aspects of my PhD data into journal articles for publication (one profiling victims; and one examining what the criminal justice response to cases of HBVA is - and should be), and presenting at international conferences. Secondly, I will disseminate my findings for a non-academic audience, including for the general public via a blog on the Policy Bristol website, hosting an experts' seminar for policy-makers, running workshops on my findings for practitioners in violence/abuse support services, and participating in events via the UK-based network Honour-Based Abuse Research Matrix. Thirdly, I will develop the findings beyond my PhD by carrying out a short piece of research comparing the government policy responses to HBVA in the UK, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden, and preparing a bid for further research (after this fellowship) focusing on how to improve the criminal justice response and support services for victims.
Together, these activities will make the findings from my PhD more widely available, and materially improve the academic, practical and public state of knowledge about HBVA in the UK. A focus on how government policy-makers and practitioners in victim support services and criminal justice agencies can interpret and act upon my findings is a key aim of the fellowship.
In the UK, HBVA is defined by the National Police Chiefs' Council as: "a crime or incident involving violence, threats of violence, intimidation, coercion or abuse (including psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional abuse) which has, or may have been, committed to protect or defend the honour of an individual, family and/or community for alleged or perceived breaches of the family and/or community code of behaviour" (NPCC, 2015). It often occurs in the context of families controlling women's sexuality or autonomy (Sen, 2005).
My PhD research addressed a gap in understanding of HBVA in the UK. Previous literature had identified that there was a lack of data comparing what happened in multiple HBVA cases (Parliament. House of Commons, 2008), that the public understanding of this abuse was skewed towards forced marriage and the most 'sensational' cases of honour killings (Brandon and Hafez, 2008; Gill and Mitra-Kahn, 2010), and that it was an under-reported abuse (HMIC, 2015). Looking at real-life cases gathered from police and victim support services, my PhD profiled the victims and perpetrators, and built a typology of violence which showed the relationship between victim and perpetrator to affect the nature of the abusive behaviour.
As Fellow, I will develop these findings and communicate them to a wider audience - including policy-makers and practitioners in the UK and internationally - so that they can be applied to better identify and support victims of honour-based violence and abuse.
I will do this in three ways. Firstly, I will communicate my findings to academic and research audiences, by writing up analysis of specific aspects of my PhD data into journal articles for publication (one profiling victims; and one examining what the criminal justice response to cases of HBVA is - and should be), and presenting at international conferences. Secondly, I will disseminate my findings for a non-academic audience, including for the general public via a blog on the Policy Bristol website, hosting an experts' seminar for policy-makers, running workshops on my findings for practitioners in violence/abuse support services, and participating in events via the UK-based network Honour-Based Abuse Research Matrix. Thirdly, I will develop the findings beyond my PhD by carrying out a short piece of research comparing the government policy responses to HBVA in the UK, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden, and preparing a bid for further research (after this fellowship) focusing on how to improve the criminal justice response and support services for victims.
Together, these activities will make the findings from my PhD more widely available, and materially improve the academic, practical and public state of knowledge about HBVA in the UK. A focus on how government policy-makers and practitioners in victim support services and criminal justice agencies can interpret and act upon my findings is a key aim of the fellowship.
Publications
Bates L
(2020)
No longer a civil matter? The design and use of protection orders for domestic violence in England and Wales
in Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law
Bates L
(2020)
Men, Masculinities and 'Honour'-Based Violence
Gangoli G
(2019)
What does justice mean to black and minority ethnic (BME) victims/survivors of gender-based violence?
in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
Walker S
(2019)
Rape, inequality and the criminal justice response in England: The importance of age and gender
in Criminology & Criminal Justice
| Description | The aim of this 12-month grant was specifically to develop and disseminate findings from my PhD. The secondary aim was to conduct a small piece of original research building on my PhD findings. Thus grant 'findings' relate to three main achievements: 1) Original knowledge generated through my PhD was developed and communicated to new policy and practitioner audiences My PhD proposed a new typology of honour-based violence in the UK based on the relationships between victims and perpetrators. These key PhD findings were adapted and disseminated to international non-academic audiences in several ways: • Gave a keynote address on my PhD findings at the new Honour Based Violence Research Matrix (HARM), a collaborative network attended by around 100 researchers, policy-makers and practitioners from across the UK. • Ran a half day workshop for front-line practitioners using my PhD data to profile victims, perpetrators and abuse. In this interactive workshop, practitioners were invited to assess the risks of the case and come up with a victim support plan. It was attended by 20 police, prosecutors, social workers, family law solicitors. domestic abuse support workers from across North West England and at least seven different agencies. • Gave a talk on my PhD findings at the National Police Working Group on Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage - attended by police, prosecutors and policy leads from other statutory agencies (immigration, children's services, NGOs). • I ran three international seminars for multi-agency practitioners and policy-makers on my PhD findings: in Denmark, Finland, and Norway. • I secured 1:1 meetings with key policy makers to present my PhD findings: o The national police lead for Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage o The Home Office and Foreign Office policy leads on HBV and FM o College of Policing domestic abuse research lead o HBV and FGM leads at local police force 2) New analysis was developed from my PhD data, and findings disseminated via academic channels: • I authored and published a book chapter presenting new analysis from my PhD data on male victims of Honour Based Violence • I authored and submitted (under review) an article presenting main PhD findings to the top journal in my field • I conducted new analysis of my PhD data on criminal justice responses to Honour Based Violence for a new journal article • I had papers accepted presenting new analysis of my PhD findings at three international conferences: o European Network on Gender and Violence, in Freiburg, Germany o European Domestic Violence Conference, in Oslo, Norway o European Society of Criminology, in Ghent, Belgium 3) New comparative research was carried out on policy responses to honour-based violence across UK and Scandinavia, and a new UK-Scandinavian research collaboration established: • Through four 'study visits' to Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, and meetings in the UK, I held 1:1 conversations with almost 100 policy-makers, practitioners, researchers and activists on Honour Based Violence to compare and contrast the approaches taken by these 5 countries. • From this work, I developed a new comparative analysis of policy frameworks and definitions across the countries. During 2019-2020 these findings will be written up into journal articles for publication, some in collaboration with researchers from those countries. • I established an ongoing research collaboration with four research colleagues, one in each of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. • I organised and hosted a Networking Event in Oslo, to establish a new European Research & Policy Network on HBVA, with other 25 attendees from more than 5 countries. We agreed to establish an ongoing network. |
| Exploitation Route | The main ways in which others might use the outcomes of this funding are: 1) Further application by academics, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners of my PhD findings which profiled victims and perpetrators of Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage. For instance, a fellow academic recently drew on my PhD typology of victims of Honour Based Violence to develop the application of the typology to male victims. To give another example, colleagues in Finland have invited me during 2020 to visit and give a talk at their Police Training Academy on types of abuse. 2) The development of further analysis and policy applications from the comparative research project conducted on HBV in UK and Scandinavia. For instance, I am in discussions with the Nordic Council on whether there are applications of my work for their development of a pan-Scandinavian policy on HBV. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education |
| Description | My findings (i.e. my PhD findings, plus emerging findings from the new Scandinavian/UK comparative policy research) have been used in a number of academic ways during and after the grant: • As course materials and case studies in the Masters' degree in Public Policy I taught during the year. • The dissemination and networking activities I carried out during the grant led directly to at least five requests for copies of my PhD thesis, from international academics and policy makers. • My PhD thesis was used and cited as the principal theoretical framework for another academic's article on honour-based abuse (during 2020). In addition to contributing to academic discussions, my findings have informed policy discussions in several ways: • Internationally, I was invited to share my findings at a meeting of the Nordic Ministries Working Group on honour-based abuse. • The contacts I made in Finland through the grant led directly to an invite to make an 'Experts' Address' at the launch of a new research report on violence against refugee women at the Finnish Parliament in Helsinki, in February 2020. • Domestically, I wrote a formal policy submission to the UK Government's draft Domestic Abuse Bill which cited my PhD findings. • I ran a practitioner workshop on practical applications of my PhD findings, attended by over 20 front line professionals working with victims/survivors |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Lecture on PhD findings to Masters students in Public Policy |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | I used findings from my PhD and also emerging findings from my Fellowship research to draw up two new lectures to Masters in Public Policy students at Bristol University. Students came from over 10 European and non-European international countries. This improved their knowledge, interest and understanding of the subject of Honour Based Violence and specifically my PhD findings. They should now be better skilled to share these findings with their professional colleagues. |
| Description | Ran Practitioner Workshop for 20 front line professionals in Blackburn |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | On 16 September 2019 I led a half day workshop in Bradford on my PhD findings, facilitated by Blackburn and Darwen Women's Aid (BBDWA). This interactive workshop brought together 20 front line practitioners from at least 7 different agencies and professions across the North West England region, including: o Police o CPS o Family Law solicitor o Domestic Violence IDVAs o HBV IDVAs o DV/HBV support service managers o Children's services The workshop combined: o Presentation of key analysis from PhD including victim/perpetrator/abuse profiling o My case typology of HBVA o Group discussion on the types o Case studies (real cases from PhD, anonymised) - one from each type, on tables discussed risk and needs assessment, and support interventions o Presented analysis of criminal justice profile/attrition of HBVA cases and group discussion |
| Description | Written submission to the UK Government's consultation on a Domestic Abuse Bill |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | I wrote and published a formal written evidence submission to the UK Government's national consultation on proposed new legislation on Domestic Abuse in a new Bill. The evidence referenced my PhD findings. My submission - and research work - was referenced by at least one national Domestic Abuse NGO in their own evidence to the Government review. |
| Description | UK-Nordic honour-based violence/abuse research collaboration |
| Organisation | Oslo Metropolitan University |
| Country | Norway |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As PI on this award, I have established a research collaboration with expert researchers/academics working on honour-based abuse and forced marriage across the UK, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. I will use the collaboration during my year's fellowship to conduct a comparative policy analysis of state responses to HBV across these 5 countries, and co-author a journal article setting out findings. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners collaborated with me to arrange 2-week research study visits and interviews for me to their country. Following the fellowship, they will co-author a journal article with me. |
| Impact | I have given two research seminars in Norway based on my PhD findings, organised by my Norwegian collaborator. There will be a co-authored journal article during 2020. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | UK-Nordic honour-based violence/abuse research collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Turku |
| Country | Finland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As PI on this award, I have established a research collaboration with expert researchers/academics working on honour-based abuse and forced marriage across the UK, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. I will use the collaboration during my year's fellowship to conduct a comparative policy analysis of state responses to HBV across these 5 countries, and co-author a journal article setting out findings. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners collaborated with me to arrange 2-week research study visits and interviews for me to their country. Following the fellowship, they will co-author a journal article with me. |
| Impact | I have given two research seminars in Norway based on my PhD findings, organised by my Norwegian collaborator. There will be a co-authored journal article during 2020. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | UK-Nordic honour-based violence/abuse research collaboration |
| Organisation | Uppsala University |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As PI on this award, I have established a research collaboration with expert researchers/academics working on honour-based abuse and forced marriage across the UK, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. I will use the collaboration during my year's fellowship to conduct a comparative policy analysis of state responses to HBV across these 5 countries, and co-author a journal article setting out findings. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners collaborated with me to arrange 2-week research study visits and interviews for me to their country. Following the fellowship, they will co-author a journal article with me. |
| Impact | I have given two research seminars in Norway based on my PhD findings, organised by my Norwegian collaborator. There will be a co-authored journal article during 2020. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | UK-Nordic honour-based violence/abuse research collaboration |
| Organisation | VIVE - The National Research and Analysis Center for Welfare |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | As PI on this award, I have established a research collaboration with expert researchers/academics working on honour-based abuse and forced marriage across the UK, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. I will use the collaboration during my year's fellowship to conduct a comparative policy analysis of state responses to HBV across these 5 countries, and co-author a journal article setting out findings. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners collaborated with me to arrange 2-week research study visits and interviews for me to their country. Following the fellowship, they will co-author a journal article with me. |
| Impact | I have given two research seminars in Norway based on my PhD findings, organised by my Norwegian collaborator. There will be a co-authored journal article during 2020. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Address to the inaugural Honour-Based Violence Research Matrix conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Invited to address the inaugural conference of the UK national honour-based violence research matrix, a group comprising researchers, activists, policy-makers, survivors of violence and other key influencers in my field. Gave a talk on PhD findings and current research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Engaging UK policy-makers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I set up individual 1:1 meetings with key UK national policy-makers on honour-based abuse (Government lead, Police national lead, Crown Prosecution Service lead, College of Policing lead) to brief them on my PhD work and the research as part of the current Award, and get their input into identifying and collaborating on my next research project. The outcome was that they were made aware of/engaged with my PhD findings; and agreed to support (in principle, and with data) my future research in this area. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019 |
| Description | Established European Network on Honour Based Violence / Abuse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Organised and hosted a Networking Event in Oslo in September 2019, bringing together researchers and policy makers in HBV from across Europe to establish a new European Research & Policy Network on HBVA, with other 25 attendees from more than 5 countries. Agreed to establish an ongoing network. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Practitioner seminar with Finnish policy makers, NGOs and police |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | In Helsinki, Finland, ran a workshop presenting my PhD findings and Fellowship research project, attended by 15 practitioners from the police, NGOs and local and national policy-makers working with HBVA. Extended the reach and audience for my work internationally, and established relationships for future events and collaborations. As a result, I was invited back to Finland in February 2020 to give a talk at the launch of a report in the Finnish Parliament. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Practitioner seminar with Norwegian police, social workers, psychologists |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | In Oslo, ran a workshop presenting my PhD findings and Fellowship research project, attended by 25 practitioners from the police, local and national government, NGOs, social workers and other front line professionals working with HBVA. Extended the reach and audience for my work internationally, and established relationships for future events and collaborations. As a result, I was invited back to Norway during 2020 to attend an expert working group. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Presented twice to the National Police Working Group on Honour Based Violence |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I secured invitations to address two meetings of the UK National Police Working Group on honour-based violence during 2019. This is the main national police leadership and practice group for the subject. In the first meeting I presented my PhD findings, and plans for research during my current Award, and invited collaboration on the next research project I was developing a major grant application for. In the second meeting I presented new analysis of a subset of my PhD data conducted during the Fellowship Award, and emerging findings from the new research project in Scandinavia. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Seminar with Danish researchers and policy-makers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | In Copenhagen, Denmark, ran a seminar presenting my PhD findings and Fellowship research project, attended by 20 social researchers, police, NGOs and local and national policy-makers working with HBVA. Extended the reach and audience for my work internationally, and established relationships for future events and collaborations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |