Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 43 Honour-based violence is a concept rife with controversy – it is understood as a crime or incident of violence committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or community based on the perpetrator’s interpretation of what is morally right and acceptable values and practices. This form of violence is perpetrated against a family member, usually female, who is perceived to have brought shame or dishonour to the family, and is carried out in order to “cleanse the family name and restore the family honour” (Papp, 2010). Service providers should be aware that honour-based violence can be perpetrated by any member within the family, not only the spouse - by fathers, fathers-in-law, brothers, brothers-inlaw, husbands and occasionally sons—often with the complicity of older females. Honour-based violence can result in honour killings, where a female relative is killed “in the name of honour”; the reasons can vary, often for forced or suspected sexual activity outside the marriage, but may also include things like undesirable behaviour, clothing choices or socializing with unacceptable people. While all forms of violence against women is deplored, there are distinctions between historically observed Western patterns of abuse of women, and such “culturally driven” abuse of girls and women by both men and women within the family. For instance, the cycles of abuse may not resemble the typical Western model – often the plan for an act of honour-based violence, including honour killings, can be made over a long period without significant preceding events. Aruna Papp, an expert researcher on honourbased violence in South-Asian communities in Canada, writes: A growing body of research confirms that in patriarchal societies […] where honour/shame codes are rife, men exercise rigid control over women. The result is a higher incidence of violence against women as compared with mainstream Western host communities. [In such patriarchal societies], women are held to a tightly scripted role of submission to a hierarchy of family authority. In addition, they face the most insurmountable obstacle of all: a community-wide conspiracy of silence regarding the abuse of girls and women. Community leaders point to cultural traditions, religious values and norms in defending their way of life. Thus, they consciously exploit multiculturalism-inspired fears amongst mainstream Canadians of appearing racist or of perpetuating cultural stereotypes. (Papp, 2010, p. 8) Service providers should be sensitive to the distinct culturally-driven factors of honour-based violence and allow space for open dialogue and acknowledgement of these cultural factors with the victim. Conversely, service providers must also be wary of prejudice and racialization of entire ethnic communities, and avoid over-projection and/or extrapolation of cultural ties to violence. Honour-based violence is unique in its nature, but varying cycles of abuse exist regardless of culture and country of origin of the perpetrator or the victim. HONOUR-BASED VIOLENCE Image by drobotdean on Freepik
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