Indian and Pak forced marriage victims in UK elude social services citing culture differences

A new research on victims of forced marriage and honour violence in UK has revealed that the victims are hesitant to seek social workers' help citing cultural differences.

Forced marriage victims are subjected to emotional blackmail, physical violence and even death threats if it is thought they could damage the family's honour.

The study that has analysed the forced marriage experiences of both men and women from Indian and Pakistani communities has been presented at the Royal Holloway University.

Researchers at Royal Holloway have called for social workers to receive mandatory training on sensitive issues surrounding different cultures and religious backgrounds.

The training is to help them understand that normal practices, such as involving family members, may not be the best solution in forced marriage cases.

Stefan Brown, from the Department of Social Work at Royal Holloway, said that the victims are either unaware of the social services available, or they are worried non-Asians will not understand the cultural and familial pressures being placed on them. Moreover, they are scared of the repercussions they would face, if they are caught, he said.

It is an issue that remains largely misunderstood and causes misery for thousands of young people in the UK.