Author: nikkigirvan

Modern Slavery and Trafficking Factsheet

Modern slavery is a term used for situations where an individual is exploited and cannot refuse or leave due to threats, coercion, or deception. Trafficking involves the recruitment, transport, transfer, harbouring, or receipt of people for the purpose of exploitation, often crossing borders but also occurring within countries. Victims and survivors are often coerced through control, deception, manipulation, entrapment, and isolation, all aimed at preventing their escape or disclosure.

Click the link or image below to download our factsheet to learn key facts, the law, and how to respond to cases, suspected cases and disclosures of Modern Slavery and Trafficking.

Child Marriage Factsheet

Child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult, or another child.

It can affect all genders, but it is often the result of entrenched gender inequality, meaning that girls are disproportionately affected by the practice. Child marriage robs girls and boys of their childhood and threatens their well-being, and it is a violation of human rights.

Click the link or image below to download our factsheet to learn key facts, the law, and how to respond to cases, suspected cases and disclosures of Child Marriage.

Dowry Violence/Abuse Factsheet

A dowry can include gifts such as money, goods, land or property that a bride or groom’s family gives to the family of the other when they marry.

Dowry abuse or violence refers to any act of coercion, violence or harassment associated with the giving or receiving of a dowry at any time before, during or after marriage. This is an ancient custom that is unfortunately still practised in some families and communities.

While dowry abuse/violence can affect all genders, the practice arises more commonly regarding those from the bride’s family to the groom’s. The receiving or giving of a dowry is not, in itself, an act of abuse. The abuse comes when there is violence, coercion, harassment or exploitation of any kind involved.

Click the link or image below to download our factsheet to learn key facts, the law, and how to respond to cases, suspected cases and disclosures of Dowry Abuse or Violence.

Spiritual Abuse Factsheet

Spiritual abuse is a term used to describe any form of coercion, control, or exploitation that uses religion, faith, or spiritual beliefs to manipulate or harm individuals. It is a form of abuse and a violation of human rights.

Click the link or image below to download our factsheet to learn key facts, the law, and how to respond to cases, suspected cases and disclosures of Spiritual Abuse.

HBA and Harmful Practices Happen Here: A Toolkit for Responding as a Frontline Professional

Savera UK is a leading charity working to end ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and harmful practices, such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), virginity testing and conversion ‘therapy’, and helping professionals to respond appropriately to these issues is a significant part of our work.

Our toolkit for responding as a frontline professional provides vital information and practical guidance to help us end these practices for good.

It highlights what you should ask a person you believe to be a survivor or at at risk of HBA and harmful practices, outlines key ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ and explains how Savera UK can help you, and the people you work with.

You can downloaded the toolkit below by clicking the link or image.

 

‘Honour’ and Its Upholders: Perpetrator Types in ‘Honour’-Based Abuse

Savera UK has revealed new research in partnership with the University of Liverpool, examining perpetrator types in HBA cases. The research identifies three perpetrator subtypes and associated risks and abuse characteristics, which could improve identification and response to HBA.

‘Honour’ and Its Upholders: Perpetrator Types in ‘Honour’-Based Abuse, was published in August 2024 by Routledge in the Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice. The research investigates if the various HBA characteristics correlated with different types of perpetrator-survivor relationships. Using the same data set from its first descriptive study, Savera UK identified three perpetrator subtypes: Intimate partner only, family only and intimate partner and family.

Read the full paper here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/24732850.2024.2390872

HBA in the LGBTQ+ Community Leaflet

‘Honour’-based abuse (HBA) is a crime or incident that has or may have been committed to protect or defend the ‘honour’ of the family and/or community.

Being LGBTQ+ or questioning your sexuality and/or gender identity when it is not acceptable within your family, faith or community’s beliefs, can be perceived as ‘dishonourable’ or bringing ‘shame’ on the family or community. Perpetrator(s) of HBA feel that the only way to restore family ‘honour’ or remove the ‘shame’ is to threaten to harm or kill, and in some cases even follow through on these threats.

Download our “HBA in the LGBTQ+ community” leaflet to learn about:

  • How HBA affects people in the LGBTQ+ community
  • HBA and conversion ‘therapy’
  • Other harmful practices that affect the LGBTQ+ community
  • How Savera UK helps LGBTQ+ people affected by HBA and harmful practices
  • Further help and resources

Conversion ‘Therapy’ Factsheet

Conversion ‘therapy’ refers to any interventions that seek to change, ‘cure’ or suppress the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of a person.

Conversion ‘therapy’ is not ‘therapy’ but a harmful practice and form of abuse against LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and all other identities included under the LGBT+ umbrella, including but not limited to intersex, asexual, pansexual, non-binary, queer and questioning) people.

It is considered harmful and unethical by many major health and mental health organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), and is widely discredited.

Click the link or image below to download our factsheet to learn key facts, the law, and how to respond to cases, suspected cases and disclosures of conversion ‘therapy’.

Breast Ironing / Flattening Factsheet

Breast flattening, also called breast ironing, involves the damaging of the breasts of girls approaching or going through puberty over a period of time, to make them disappear or delay their development.

It is not a part of any culture, but instead a harmful practice and a violation of human rights.

Click the link or image below to download our factsheet to learn key facts, the law, indicators, and how to identify risks and how to respond to cases, suspected cases and disclosures of breast ironing / flattening