Page 38 - Getting it Right for Vulnerable Children and Young People in North Ayrshire

Forced Marriage Forced marriage is first and foremost a child protection issue. If you have any concerns at all that a child or young person may have been forced to marry or is at risk of forced marriage, you should follow your organisation’s child protection procedures and contact social services and the police without delay. Definition A forced marriage is one in which one or both of the parties do not consent to the marriage and duress is involved. This issue may affect both adults and children. In cases involving children the practice position should be maintained that they are unable to consent to entering into such an arrangement due to their incapacity to consent to or understand the nature of the marriage. Brief Overview Research informs us that victims often encounter prolonged duress such as:  Physical, psychological, financial, sexual and emotional pressure  Threatening conduct  Harassment  Threat of blackmail  Use of deception and other means Duress may be from parents, other family members and the wider community. The Scottish and UK Governments regard forced marriage as a form of domestic abuse, an abuse of human rights and, when children and young people are affected, child abuse. Perpetrators often justify the practice by asserting that they are:  protecting their daughters/sons,  building stronger families  preserving cultural or religious traditions.  protecting family honour  discouraging unwanted behaviour in relation to sexuality, sexual orientation, or gender identity,  discouraging behaviour such as alcohol, drug use,  providing financial security, The following are indicators which may be present: • Education : Truancy, decline in performance or punctuality, low motivation at school, poor exam results, withdrawn from school by those with parental responsibility, not allowed to attend extra-curricular activities. Getting It Right For Vulnerable Children and Young People in North Ayrshire Live V1.2 April 2014 Page No:38