Helping young people at risk of Forced Marriage and FGM
What Is Forced Marriage and FGM?
A forced marriage is where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and pressure, abuse, threats, violence, coercion and/or deception is used. It’s a form of honour-based abuse and it’s a criminal offence.
FGM (also known as female genital cutting or circumcision) is when the female genitals are deliberately cut, altered or removed for non-medical reasons. The consequences of FGM are severe and can have lifelong physical, psychological and social implications. It’s important to remember that FGM is not part of any religion – it’s child abuse and it’s illegal.
A forced marriage is where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and pressure, abuse, threats, violence, coercion and/or deception is used. It’s a form of honour-based abuse and it’s a criminal offence.
FGM (also known as female genital cutting or circumcision) is when the female genitals are deliberately cut, altered or removed for non-medical reasons. The consequences of FGM are severe and can have lifelong physical, psychological and social implications. It’s important to remember that FGM is not part of any religion – it’s child abuse and it’s illegal.
Spotting the signs
Identifying cases of FGM or forced marriage can be challenging due to the secretive nature of the practices, but there are signs that may indicate a young person is at risk. Teachers can play a part in remaining vigilant and looking out for signs that someone could soon be (or is already) a victim of one of these crimes:
- Running away from home
- Self-harming or attempted suicide
- Depression or becoming worried or withdrawn
- Poor performance at school/college or unexplained absence
- A surprise engagement to a stranger you’ve not heard of before
- A sudden holiday abroad
- No control over their own money
- Not returning from a visit to another country
- Deliberately failing exams so that they can stay on in education
Signs FGM might happen
- A relative or someone known as a ‘cutter’ visiting from abroad
- Discussions about an upcoming ceremony or special occasion where a girl ‘becomes a woman’
- A female relative like a mother, aunt or sister has undergone FGM
- A family arranges a long holiday overseas or visits a family abroad during the summer holidays
- A girl has an unexpected or long absence from school, or struggles to keep up in school
- A girl runs away or plans to run away from home
Signs FGM might have taken place
- Health issues – complaints about difficulty walking, sitting or frequent urinary or menstrual problems
- Behavioural changes – sudden changes in behaviour, such as appearing quiet, anxious or depressed
- Acting differently after an absence from school or college
- Reluctance to go to the doctors or have routine medical examinations
- Asking for help – though they might not be explicit about the problem because they’re scared or embarrassed
Reporting FGM
In England and Wales, regulated health and social care professionals and teachers have a mandatory duty to make a report to the police if:
- They are informed by a child under the age of 18 that they have undergone FGM
- They observe physical signs that an act of FGM may have been carried out on a child under the age of 18 (Section 74 Serious Crime Act 2015)
You can find out more about the mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation on the GOV.UK website. You can also get more advice by visiting the NSPCC website.
Reporting forced marriage
If someone you know is at risk of forced marriage, call the West Midlands Forced Marriage Helpline on 0800 953 9777. Support is available 24/7.
Remember to always call 999 in an emergency or is someone is in immediate danger.
For non-emergencies, call 101 or webchat with the police online at www.westmidlands.police.uk