Forced marriage of people with learning disabilities
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Forced marriage of adults with learning disabilities - developing knowledge, policy and practice to keep people safe.
IRAS ID
196465
Contact name
Rachael Clawson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Forced marriage is defined UK Government Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) as a marriage without the consent of one or both parties and where duress is a factor. It is well established that some people with learning disabilities are forced to marry (Clawson 2011, FMU statistics 2010-2014). Forced marriage happens to people with learning disabilities who may or may not have capacity to consent to marriage and who are at risk of being tricked or coerced into marriage (HM Government, 2014). Consequences often include physical, financial and sexual abuse and emotional harm, thus fitting with the definitions of abuse included the Care Act 2014. Previous work has demonstrated that adult social care practitioners and other agencies tasked with safeguarding vulnerable people e.g. police, health, education currently do not have the knowledge, skills or policies to adequately recognise who might be at risk and address how they might be best safeguarded, nor do all Safeguarding Adult Boards have strategic plans in place to address the issue (Clawson, 2011; Clawson 2013; Clawson, forthcoming).
Over two years this study will produce vital new understandings of forced marriage of people with learning disabilities by firstly examining data held by the UK Government’s FMU and then by interviewing people with learning disabilities, their families, community/faith leaders and frontline adult safeguarding practitioners about the issue. The findings will contribute, for the first time, to a comprehensive understanding of the lived experience of all parties involved. Safeguarding functions will be improved if the range of motivating factors and consequences involved in forced marriages are known. The findings will be used to improve safeguarding policy and practice through the production of range of outputs designed for use by practitioners, people with learning disabilities, their families and faith/community leaders. (Please see question A12 for references).
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
16/IEC08/0014
Date of REC Opinion
26 Apr 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion