Understanding victims of honour-based violence

Health practitioners, including public health nurses, health visitors and school nurses, are optimally placed to identify victims of abuse, including honour-based violence (HBV). Health appointments may be the only chance that a victim has to be alone with someone they can trust and to whom they feel able to disclose abuse. However, for this disclosure to occur the practitioner must be knowledgeable about HBV and the complexities involved. This article will examine the concept of HBV as described in the literature, how HBV differs from domestic violence, and the role of community practitioners in recognising and assessing the needs of victims.