Honour Abuse Research Matrix (HARM)

HARM strives for a more sustainable approach. We believe that a move towards evidence-based policy and practice will improve outcomes for victims and those at risk of ‘honour’-based abuse, forced marriage and FGM.

The research strand of HARM conducts robust research, is published in reputable, peer-reviewed, international academic journals, and drives research-based practice and policy innovation. HARM strives for a more sustainable approach to tackling ‘honour’-based violence, forced marriage, FGM and other hidden forms of domestic abuse. We believe that a move towards evidence-based policy and practice will improve outcomes for victims and those at risk of these crimes.

Research areas:

• Psychology
• Forensic Science
• Social Inclusion
• Social Work and Social Policy
• Evidence-Based Policing
• Families, Children and Life Transitions
• Health and International Justice
• Language, Linguistics, Culture and Society
• Law
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Midwifery and Maternal Child Health

Research Grouping: Centre for Criminal Justice Research & Partnerships (Violence and Aggression).

HARM is committed to conducting research that has applied value beyond academia, so it has real-world impact internationally. To successfully achieve this, HARM works in collaboration with public, private and third sectors to deliver multiagency, transdisciplinary research that helps to shape policy and inform practice.

Domestic Abuse Policy and Training

Unison, Durham University, iROWE, University of Central Lancashire, CPS

Dr Khan acts as an advisor and/or training developer on numerous university welfare teams

Domestic Abuse Awareness Workshop, Liverpool John Moores University, University and College Union (UCU) and UNISON.

Liverpool John Moores University worked in partnership with Dr Roxanne Khan and evidence-based training specialists, onEvidence Ltd, in order to provide staff with the opportunity to engage in a virtual (2 hour) ‘Domestic Abuse Awareness Workshop’ to explore how staff may identify someone that is experiencing domestic abuse and discover ways in which to support them. This training is based on research undertaken by HARM.

Dr Khan continues to collaborate closely with Dr Gemma Wibberley, at iROWE (Institute for Research into Organisations, Work and Employment who delivers welfare training to University and College Union (UCU) and UNISON members. Dr Khan also collaborates with colleagues at Durham University, who are international leaders in combatting sexual harassment on university campuses, and acted as an advisor to a student conduct office training programme

Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Calls During COVID-19

During Covid-19 lockdown, H.O.P.E Training and Consultancy in association with HARM, the Centre for Abuse Research, (University of Suffolk) and Sarah Wigley Associates, provided a platform for Black, Asian and other minoritised people to discuss the impact of domestic and sexual abuse on survivors.

Presenters included David Lammy MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, Shadow Lord Chancellor), Jess Philips MP (Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding), Dame Vera Baird DBE QC (Victim’s Commissioner for England & Wales), Nicole Jacobs (Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England & Wales), Baroness Sandip Verma (House of Lords, Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas), Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (New York Attorney & Solicitor of England & Wales), Pragna Patel (Southall Black Sisters), Dr Charlotte Proudman (award-winning human rights barrister), Natasha Ruttu (CEO Karma Nirvana), Professor Aisha Gill CBE, and Professor Marianne Hester.

Domestic Abuse Policy Guidance for UK Universities

Insert quote: " We all have a role to play in preventing and responding to domestic abuse… This includes universities, which is why I warmly welcome this guidance."

— Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner England and Wales

Since publication in May 2021, HARM’s domestic abuse policy guidance has accrued over 3300 downloads from CloK (to Dec 2021). It has received 56,000 impressions on social media (Twitter analytics Dec 2021), with high engagement levels. This guidance has been adopted by universities across the UK, including University of Central Lancashire and Liverpool John Moores University, to inform specific domestic abuse policy and training initiatives to safeguard staff and students.

Nazir Afzal Essay Competition

The annual Nazir Afzal Essay Competition, organised by HARM network, is named after British solicitor and former Chief Crown Prosecutor Nazir Afzal OBE who, during a 25 year career, has prosecuted some of the most high profile cases in the country, and led nationally on numerous legal topics including violence against women and girls, child sexual abuse, and honour based violence.

This innovative, international competition aims to encourage quality research and writing on marginalised victimology themes, to engage students and key stakeholders internationally in a creative way, and to drive positive societal change. Entries have been received from all over the world and the winning entry and runners up essays are published by HARM. The essay first prize of £500 is sponsored by charities who support victims of harmful practices.

Super Complaint

Invisible survivors – The long wait for justice

Dr Roxanne Khan, Nazir Afzal OBE, and Dexter Diaz QC provided evidence in the form of expert statements to the first ever super-complaint detailing the systemic failures of Black, Asian and minority ethnic sexual abuse cases by police forces across England and Wales. Authored by HARM Ambassador Yasmin Khan (CEO of Halo Project and Welsh Government Advisor) as part of the Tees Valley Inclusion Project, the report - Invisible survivors: The long wait for justice - is only one of five super-complaints eligible to date and is being investigated by three major policing bodies. This was reported by BBC News and on BBC Newsnight.

Open Letter to the Home Secretary

Home Secretary-Open Letter: Hidden Harm Summit for Domestic Abuse 21 May 2020 COVID-19 Impact

Dr Roxanne Khan, Meena Kumari (HOPE network), and Dr Olumide Adisa (CART), co-wrote this open letter based on research by HARM. With over 40 influential signatories, this letter was delivered by Baroness Sandip Verma (House of Lords, Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas), to the Home Secretary, the Right Honorable Priti Patel MP, at the Hidden Harm Summit for Domestic Abuse, Chaired by Prime Minister Boris Johnson (as reported in The Independent).

Workplace Guidance Toolkit for UK Employers

Harmful Traditional Practices in the Workplace: Guidance for Best Practice

Since publication in 2020, HARM’s workplace guidance toolkit has received almost half a million impressions on social media with engagement rates as high as 23% (Twitter analytics Dec 2021), and a video output has been viewed over 1380 times on YouTube (to Dec 2021). It has accrued over 7000 downloads (to Dec 2021) from CloK, one of which, Urgent Response to COVID-19, was 13th most accessed COVID-19 document across all academic repositories across UK, USA, New Zealand and Australia in 2020. This guidance has been adopted and/or endorsed by NHS Employers (Europe’s largest employer), the Crime Prosecution Service, Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse, London’s Mayor’s Officer, city councils (e.g., Preston), and Universities (e.g., Liverpool John Moore’s University and the University of Central Lancashire) across the UK.

APPG

All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Domestic Violence and Abuse. Session: The Context and Nature of ‘Honour-Based’ Abuse.

The APPG invited Dr Roxanne Khan to speak at this meeting on the work of HARM network to raise awareness of ‘honour’-based abuse and to present suggestions to improve the evidence base for practitioners working in the domestic abuse sector. The sessions Chairs are Apsana Begum MP and Baroness Bertin. Other Speakers included Baljit Banga (Executive Director, Imkaan), Natasha Rattu (Executive Director, Karma Nirvana) and Diana Nammi (Executive Director IKWRO).

‘Honour’ abuse, violence, and forced marriage in the UK. Police cases (incidents and charges) and specialised training: 2018 and 2019. Yasmin Khan, Roxanne Khan, Olumide Adisa, Meera Kumari & Katherine Allen (2021). HARM Network report commissioned for HALO Project.

Adisa, O. & Khan, R. (2021). The Story of H.O.P.E. How a group of Black and Brown women reshaped domestic abuse support networks in lockdown. Domestic Abuse Research Network (DARNet), University of Suffolk & Honour Abuse Research Matrix (HARM), University of Central Lancashire.

“They will keep seeing young women murdered by men. Enough is enough-we have seen too many women lose their lives”. Lessons for professionals working with victims of ‘honour’ abuse and violence. Reema Begum, Roxanne Khan, Brewer, G., & Beth Hall (2020). Genealogy. Special Issue: "Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, Children Young People and Their Families in and against the Youth (Criminal) Justice System", 4 (3),

Homophobic ‘honour’ abuse experienced by South Asian gay men in England. Roxanne Khan & Michelle Lowe (2020). In M. Idriss (Ed.), Men, Masculinities and Honour-Based Violence, Chapter 6 (pp. 95-113). Oxon: Routledge.

Antigay “Honor” Abuse: A Multinational Attitudinal Study of Collectivist­-Versus Individualist­-Orientated Populations in Asia and England. Michelle Lowe, Roxanne Khan, Thanzami Vanlal, Mahsa Barzy and Rozina Karmaliani (2019). Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Honour Based Abuse, Violence, and Killings. Roxanne Khan (2018). Journal of Aggression, Conflict & Peace Research. Special Edition: ‘Honour’ Killing, Violence & Abuse,10(4), 237-238.

‘Honour’ abuse: the experience of South Asians who identify as LGBT in North West England. Roxanne Khan, Beth Hall and Michelle Lowe (2017). Summary report prepared for Lancashire Constabulary.

‘Honour’-based violence in a British South Asian community. Roxanne Khan, Shamam Saleem (2018). Safer Communities, 17 (1). pp. 11-21.

Attitudes toward intimate partner ‘honor’-based violence in India, Iran, Malaysia and Pakistan. Michelle Lowe, Roxanne Lowe, Thanzami, Vanlal, Mahsa Barzy and Rozina Karmaliani (2018). Journal of Aggression, Conflict & Peace Research. Special Edition: ‘Honour’ Killing, Violence & Abuse, 10 (4), 283-89.

Honour-related violence (HRV) in Scotland: A cross-and multi-agency intervention involvement survey. Roxanne Khan (2007). International Journal of Criminology, 1-8.

Special Edition: Domestic violence and child abuse in the UK: oversights, controversies, and solutions. Invited Guest Editor, Dr Roxanne Khan, Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace. (publication date: November 2022)

Special Edition*: ‘Honour’ Killing, Violence and Abuse. Invited Guest Editor, Dr Roxanne Khan, Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace. (published: November 2018)

*This is the top-rated journal set for the entire journal and had over 1,000 downloads in its first four months.

Domestic abuse policy guidance for UK universities – Launch date: April 2021

Funded by Research England (Quality Related-Strategic Priorities Funding). December 2020.

HARM is leading a multiagency partnership to produce domestic abuse policy guidance for UK universities. This work will be informed by systematic research, in collaboration with key experts, critical stakeholders, and policy makers, in central government, education bodies, and the justice system.

Dr Khan is Chair to the Expert Advisory Committee, with members Nicole Jacobs (Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales); Professor Graham J. Towl, Suzanne Jacob OBE, Lorraine O’Brien OBE, Professor Paul Miller, Farah Nazeer, Dr Charlotte Proudman, Professor Jane Monckton-Smith, Dr Lorraine Sheridan, Dr Emma Katz, Dr Geetanjali Gangoli, Dr Gayle Brewer, Fiona Waye, and Amy Norton.

Professional affiliations: Universities of Cambridge, Durham, Liverpool, Liverpool Hope, Suffolk, Gloucestershire, Curtin (Australia). Most members have held chief officer roles in central government (Ministry of Justice) and the Commonwealth Council (President for Educational Administration and Management), policy managers for UK Universities and Office for Students, Consultants and Advisors for the British Government, and CEO roles in leading national domestic abuse charities.

Domestic abuse and Sexual Violence Calls During COVID-19

During Covid-19 lockdown, H.O.P.E Network in association with HARM, Centre for Abuse Research, (University of Suffolk) and Sarah Wigley Associates, provided a platform for Black, Asian and other minoritised people to discuss the impact of domestic and sexual abuse on survivors.

Presenters included David Lammy MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, Shadow Lord Chancellor), Jess Philips MP (Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding), Dame Vera Baird DBE QC (Victim’s Commissioner for England & Wales), Nicole Jacobs (Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England & Wales), Baroness Sandip Verma (House of Lords, Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas), Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (New York Attorney & Solicitor of England & Wales), Pragna Patel (Southall Black Sisters), Dr Charlotte Proudman (award-winning human rights barrister), Natasha Ruttu (CEO Karma Nirvana), Professor Aisha Gill CBE, and Professor Marianne Hester.

Winner: Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO) annual True Honour Awards 2020. Dr Roxanne Khan was winner of Special Recognition: Academic Contribution to End ‘Honour’-Based Abuse.

Winner: Emerald Literati Awards 2019: Highly Commended Paper ‘Honour’ -based violence in a British South Asian community, Dr. Roxanne Khan, UCLan, Shamam Saleem and Dr. Michelle Lowe, Bolton University. Published in Safer Communities.

Winner: Emerald Literati Awards 2019: Outstanding Paper Perception and barriers: reporting female genital mutilation, Dr. Geetanjali Gangoli, University of Bristol, Professor Aisha Gill, University of Roehampton, Dr. Natasha Mulvihill and Dr. Marianne Hester, University of Bristol. Published in Journal of Aggression, Conflict & Peace Research, invited paper on special edition edited by Dr. Roxanne Khan.

Nazir Afzal OBE. Government advisor and former Chief Crown Prosecutor. Renowned for raising public awareness of forced marriage and honour crimes, Nazir received a standing ovation for his keynote speech at the HARM launch in 2018.

DCI Caroline Goode QPM. Formerly London Metropolitan Police, Caroline was awarded Queen's Police Medal for leading the investigation into Banaz Mahmod’s tragic murder and continues to work tirelessly to protect those at risk of honour violence and killings.

Yasmin Khan. National government advisor on Violence against Women, Yasmin is the pioneering founder of forced marriage and honour abuse charity, the Halo Project.

Professor Karl Roberts is the author of Honor-Based Violence: Policing and Prevention. Karl is a Forensic psychologist, Professor and Chair of Policing and Criminal Justice at Western Sydney University, Australia. He is also Adjunct Professor of Pacific Policing at University of the South Pacific, Fiji. Karl’s research explores honour violence. He has published three books on this and advises and trains police and other agencies on these issues.

Professor Rusi Jaspal. Professor of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. He is Fellow of the British Psychological Society, the Royal Society of Arts, the Royal Society of Public Health, and Higher Education Academy. Rusi has written over 100 articles and book chapters focusing on the social psychological aspects of sexual identity and ‘coming out’ especially among British South Asian gay men and has written about forced marriage in this community.

Matt Mahmood-Ogston. Award-winning LGBTQI+ campaigner and film director, Matt is Director of the Naz and Matt Foundation, dedicated to tackling religious homophobia, setup in memory of his fiancé, Dr Nazim Mahmood, who ended his life two days after his parents confronted him about his sexuality. Matt and Naz’s personal story inspired a ground-breaking storyline in one of Britain’s most watched TV programmes, Coronation Street.

Dr. Rachael Aplin. Senior Lecturer in Policing at the University of Huddersfield, specialising in policing and gendered violence, specifically honour abuse. Rachel, a former Detective Sergeant, who spent over 20 years in the police force. Her book Policing UK Honour-Based Abuse Crime is an important addition to the literature.

Shaheen Hashmat. Scottish Pakistani writer, campaigner, and survivor of honour abuse, raising awareness in the media and multiple other platforms.

Dr. Lis Bates. Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Policing Research and Learning. Lis’s interests are in domestic and sexual violence, forced marriage and honour-based abuse. Drawing on a feminist lens, her work aims to improve services for victims/survivors, to hold perpetrators accountable, and to improve laws and criminal justice responses. Previously Head of Research at domestic abuse charity SafeLives, she has held various roles for the UK Parliament and Government.

Dr. Geetanjali Gangoli. Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, University of Durham. Geetanjali’s research explores gender-based violence in the UK and on preventing violence for refugee and asylum-seeking women in Europe. She is a prolific author and recently won 2019 Emerald Publishing award with co-authors Professor Aisha Gill, Dr Natasha Mulvihill and Professor Marianne. Hester: Perception and barriers: reporting female genital mutilation

Dr. Maz Idriss. Senior Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University. Maz is also Trustee of the Elm Foundation and LLM Coordinator for Human Rights. His book, Masculinities and Honour Based Violence, is a vital addition to the literature.

Meena Kumari. Founder and Director of H.O.P.E Training & Consultancy. During Covid-19, Meena launched a platform for Black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities to discuss the impact of domestic and sexual abuse on survivors during lockdown.

Dr. Roxanne Khan - HARM Director

Professor Nicola Graham-Kevan - UCLan Lead for Research on Violence and Aggression

Dr. John Wainwright- Youth and Justice Lead at the Criminal and Justice Partnership, based in the School of Social Work, Care and Community

Beth Hall (PhD candidate) – HARM research assistant, based in the School of Psychology