Honour-based abuse (HBA) is an umbrella term used to describe a combination of practices, used principally to control and punish the behaviour of a member of a family or social group, in order to protect perceived cultural and religious beliefs in the name of ‘honour’.
There is never any honour in, or justification for, abuse. Women and girls are particularly at risk of HBA. It can take many forms, including ‘honour’ killings, forced marriage, rape and sexual violence, physical abuse, kidnapping, imprisonment, emotional abuse and coercive control. It can be difficult to identify.