HBA Media Guidelines
In the year ending March 2022, there were 2,887 HBA-related offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. This was an increase of 6 per cent compared with the year ending March 2021 (when there were 2,725 offences). Of these 77 were female genital mutilation (FGM) and 141 were forced marriage offences [1].
However, these practices are still largely ‘hidden’, and we know that these statistics are just the tip of the iceberg.
Raising awareness of HBA and harmful practices is vital, and the most powerful messages come from survivors and those from affected communities who wish to break the silence and eradicate these practices for good. However, many are discouraged from speaking out, due to poor media understanding of the issues, lack of understanding around risk and security and lack of care and consideration when working with survivors.
Savera UK worked closely with those affected to create these guidelines to inform and empower journalists to report more accurately and effectively on HBA and harmful practices, and better support the survivors they work with.
Please explore the resources below and learn more about our ‘Setting the Story Straight’ project, which is supported by the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales.
[1] Statistics on so called ‘honour-based’ abuse offences, England and Wales, 2021 to 2022, Home Office
