Abu Sadik Maruf

Forced Marriage: a Study on British Bangladeshi Community Abu Sadik Maruf

Forced marriage is a serious abuse of human rights that involves physical torture and/or emotional blackmail by family. It is not merely an issue in the UK. It is an international issue comes along with other problems such as 'domestic violence', 'inequality' and 'poverty'. It can affect particular population globally and locally. In the UK, hundreds of people, particularly girls and young women are forced into marriage each year. Studies found that victims can be as young as 9 years old to older as 35 and over.

This study addresses the international and cross-cultural dimensions of a social problem. It mainly focused on British Bangladeshi community to know the circumstances of forced marriage in general and then evaluated the existing social work services in the UK. The main interest of the study was in the statements of particular groups of people including their personal views, perceptions and experiences on forced marriage.