Forced Marriage

One of the most sensitive topics which students occasionally look at is the subject of forced marriage. So those of you with an interest in this area may be shocked to learn that statistics from a new piece of research suggest that the number of forced marriages in the UK each year appears to be much higher than previously thought. The research has been commissioned by the Home Office, following discussion about how widespread the practice really is.

The government actually passed the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection Act) 2007 last year, which forms the basis of legislation in this area (click here for a summary of the main points). They have also established the Forced Marriage Unit, while two earlier reports on the issue can be accessed by clicking here or here. The NHS Forced Marriage Awareness service is also worth a look if you are completely new to this subject.