FORCED MARRIAGE Lighting fires “The surest way not to fail is


d marriage: can you do?


of sensitivity should never be an excuse for turning a blind eye to this, or indeed any other, kind of abuse. The high-risk nature of forced marriage also means that the FMU, the police, and other organisations working on these issues, would never recommend mediation between a victim and his or her family in these cases. This is because doing so is likely to put those facing forced marriage at greater risk of harm. There have, for example, been cases of women being murdered by their families during mediation, but, even without extreme violence, mediation can place someone at further risk of emotional or physical abuse.


Making the difference


Most of this article has been concerned with what to do if a case of forced marriage presents itself to professionals in schools or elsewhere. The overwhelming message is to make it your problem and ensure that the person gets the support they need. But there is more that can be done to tackle this abusive practice. This includes ensuring that the FMU’s freely


available material on forced marriage is available around educational institutions, and encouraging open discussion of the issue in the classroom and elsewhere. Ensuring that colleagues are aware of the issue and


have appropriate safeguarding training is also crucial. The FMU’s new interactive e-learning tool is a great place to start and will provide you with the confidence to help if and when someone asks to speak privately about their concerns. Make it your responsibility.


SecEd


• Olaf Henricson-Bell is joint head of the government’s Forced Marriage Unit.


Further information


The Forced Marriage Unit runs a public helpline that provides advice and support to both practitioners handling cases of forced marriage as well as to victims themselves. Call 020 7008 0151 between 9am and 5pm (Monday to Friday) or email fmu@fco.gov.uk. For out- of-hours emergency advice, call 020 7008 1500 and ask for the FCO Global Response Centre. Further information can be found by visiting


www.fco.gov.uk/forcedmarriage and www.hmcourts- service.gov.uk/cms/14490.htm For the e-learning tool, visit www.fmelearning.co.uk


they realise that they will not be allowed to continue with their education.


What to do


Lots of help is available for professionals who come across cases of forced marriage. The FMU’s new e- learning tool, the first of its kind, contains general advice as well as sections tailored for practitioners working in education as well as other areas. More detail is provided in the FMU’s Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines, published in 2009. The FMU can also be contacted for immediate advice (see further information). All education institutions will have a safeguarding


co-ordinator or equivalent to whom disclosures related to forced marriage should be referred. In some cases, it may be sufficient simply to provide advice and refer them to local emotional support services, but in many it will be necessary to bring in social services and often the police. Multi-agency responses are often required in forced marriage cases and the usual safeguarding procedures should be followed. In all cases, the first thing to do is to take the


disclosure seriously, and talk to the victim alone in a safe and confidential location. They should be asked to provide as much information as possible and reassured that their parents will not be informed. To do so would discourage young people from seeking help, but, more importantly, would also put them at serious risk. Young people have been beaten or worse for having brought shame on the family by seeking help and in other cases the marriage has been brought forward to make intervention harder. For the same reasons, maintaining confidentiality


in forced marriage cases is essential. And the risk to victims does not end once they have escaped the immediate threat. The FMU has worked with victims who have been tracked down years later through bank or phone records or through family members in positions of authority. A full risk-assessment needs to be carried out to ensure that appropriate protective measures are taken. In some cases this involves an entirely new identity being created. Many cases cross national boundaries. In all


circumstances of possible forced marriage, victims should be discouraged from leaving the UK. It will be much harder to help them overseas and in a small number of cases it will be wholly impossible. If a victim is already overseas, and is a British national, then the professional should contact the FMU immediately. They will make contact with the local British embassy or high commission and look into providing consular assistance and seeking to return the individual to the UK if that is what they want. In some cases, young people will be worried


about forced marriage but will nonetheless want to take the risk of travelling. In these circumstances, it is essential that protective measures are taken. The individual should be provided with the contact details of organisations in the UK that can assist, including the


SecEd • June 17 2010


FMU, and if they are British nationals also the number of the nearest embassy, high commission or consulate in the country to which they are travelling. They should leave behind contact details for themselves, including addresses, phone numbers and the names of the people they will be visiting, and should take a hidden supply of money and an additional mobile phone with roaming facility that they can use to get help if needed. In high risk cases, it may be useful to establish a contact regime with the young person by which they will make contact with a named person in the UK at regular intervals to confirm that they are okay. This should be accompanied by an agreed password that they can use to confirm that they are speaking freely and not under duress.


What not to do


The absolute key message is “not to do nothing”. Often this kind of issue can seem hard for professionals to intervene in for fear of upsetting community relations or other perceived sensitivities. While cultural sensitivity and understanding are key to providing services and supporting members of any given community, this kind


Is forced marriage a crime?


Although criminal offences such as assault, kidnapping and false imprisonment may be common features of forced marriage cases, forced marriage is not itself a crime. In 2005/06, a public consultation was undertaken on the possible criminalisation of forced marriage. The majority of respondents felt that such criminalisation would force the issue further underground and discourage victims from seeking help as they would not want their parents to face charges. Accordingly, instead of criminal legislation, the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act was passed in 2007. Under this Act, victims of forced marriage or others acting on their behalf, can apply for a forced marriage protection order. These orders can be used to prevent someone being forced into marriage, or to protect someone where a marriage has already taken place. Named individuals can be arrested if they do not comply with the Orders. Since coming into force in November 2008, more than 130 Orders have been taken out and the FMU has seen their value in its casework.


A place for faith Psycho babble


I WAS interested to read that Ofsted has produced a report suggesting that teachers in English schools pay more attention to other faiths, and that Christian pupils are being “sidelined” in class. Inspectors found that the overall quality of


religious studies in secondary schools was worse than it was three years ago. Not surprisingly, this has been pinned on the Labour government – the result, it is suggested, of changes to the curriculum to increase “flexibility”. There’s undoubtedly something in this. A quick


peek in my son’s GCSE notebook does suggest that there is a heavy emphasis on religions and faiths other than Christianity, and what is being taught is pretty basic fare. I suspect the reasoning behind


this is the fact that, once upon a time, it would be assumed that our pupils would have a general, broad-based understanding of Christianity – stemming from a healthy spiritual life at home. The truth is, however,


that less than nine per cent of teenagers are regular church-goers and the most “religious” students are not those who follow the Christian faith. We are a Christian country; multicultural, multi- denominational, multi-faith, yes, but fundamentally Christian. I can’t help but wonder why this is considered to be something negative, unimportant and unworthy of celebrating. I don’t hold changes to the curriculum entirely responsible for this; parents are leading the way. I was surprised, for example, to hear a set of


parents talking about the Easter service at my son’s primary school. They were up in arms and preparing to see the head about what they considered to be an “archaic” practice. They don’t believe Christian beliefs should be taught in schools. The truth is that it is now “trendy” to be agnostic.


Far fewer English homes encourage an understanding of and belief in Christian faith; therefore, the majority of Christian children have little understanding of spirituality. If it’s not taught and encouraged at home, and the teaching in schools has been downgraded, then where do today’s kids get the foundation they need to form a belief system? We cannot underestimate the importance of faith. I’m not saying it has to be Christian, but in a Christian


country, where our morals, values and even some of our laws are based on its precepts, it is necessary to keep this foundation from crumbling. You might be interested to note that binge-


drinking in youths has increased by 140 per cent since 1991, a rise that mirrors the reverse trend for church-going. There is also a wealth of research showing an increasingly catastrophic catalogue of youth behaviour problems that stem from a lack of values, respect and human kindness – all of which underpin Christianity. Is there really no link between a declining belief in our fundamental belief system and the fact that our society is showing clear signs of going off the rails? I wrote in SecEd a couple of years ago


about the importance of spirituality. I quoted a report from America, called Hardwired to Connect, which stated: “Denying or ignoring the spiritual needs of adolescents may end up creating a void in their lives that either devolves into depression or is filled by other forms of questing and challenge, such as drinking ... sexual precocity, or


flirtations with violence.” A US study, published in 2006, found that of all the organised activities teens participate in, faith- based youth groups provide the highest rates of personal and interpersonal growth experiences. The six types of growth experiences surveyed were identity work, initiative development, emotional regulation, teamwork and social skills, positive relationships with peers, and positive relationships with adults.


The study concluded that “although scholars tend to ignore the spiritual dimension of teenagers’ lives, research suggests that religion is an important part of teens’ experiences”. I’m not going to suggest that schools change their


approach to worship, but I do think that the role of spirituality cannot be underplayed, particularly in an age where our teens tend to be rather rudderless. This starts with giving them an understanding of the religious beliefs that define English culture and our moral framework. Religious studies and Christianity have a place in our schools, and the current imbalance needs to be addressed.


• Karen Sullivan is a bestselling author, psychologist and childcare expert. Email KESullivan@aol.com


to determine to succeed.” Richard Brinsley Sheridan


“The talent of success is nothing more than doing


what you can do, well.” Henry W Longfellow


“Education is the guardian genius of democracy. It is the only dictator that free men recognise, and the only ruler


that free men require.” Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar


“Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost


tradition.” Jacques Barzun


“Education is the transmission of civilisation.” Will Durant


“He that teaches us anything which we knew not before is undoubtedly to be


reverenced as a master.” Dr Samuel Johnson Got a quote? Email editor@sec-ed.co.uk


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