In Norway, authorities and non-governmental organizations work together to combat these forms of abuse and ensure that all residents can live free and independent lives. Efforts to prevent forced marriages, female genital mutilation, and involuntary stays abroad are part of this work.   

What is negative social control?

Negative social control understood as pressure, surveillance, threats, or coercion that systematically restricts someone's life choices or repeatedly prevents them from making independent decisions about their life and future. Being subjected to this can have severe consequences for mental and physical health.

What is honour based violence?

Honor motivated violence is violence and violations triggered by the family's or group's need to maintain or restore honor and reputation. This can occur in families and groups where the individual is expected to conform to the collective, and where patriarchal honor norms are strong. Girls and women are particularly vulnerable because the family's or group's honor is tied to the control of women's sexuality, and because unwanted behavior can bring shame to the entire family or group.

Effects against negative social control and honour based violence

To combat negative social control and honor motivated violence, Norway has implemented a range of measures. In May 2025, the government launched the new action plan In charge of your Own Life – Strengthened Efforts Against Negative Social Control and Honour-Related Violence (2025–2028). The action plan contains 29 measures within the following priority areas: legal protection, prevention, capacity-building within public services, and involuntary stays abroad.

The government is also following up several important initiatives in the Escalation Plan Against Violence and Abuse of Children and Violence in Close Relationships (2024–2028), where the prevention and combatting of negative social control and honour motivated violence form part of the broader cross-sectoral effort against violence and abuse.

There are several specialized support services that offer counseling and assistance to those affected. These services are available both for individuals in need of immediate help and for those requiring long-term support. The specialized services also contribute to capacity building for employees in the ordinary service system, such as the police, child welfare services, and teachers, so they are better equipped to identify cases and assist those they encounter in their work.

  • The Expert Team against Negative Social Control and Honor Based Violence is a national inter-agency team that assists the support system in cases of negative social control, honor based violence, forced marriage, and female genital mutilation. The team provides competence enhancement and guidance to the ordinary service system and voluntary organisations that interact with victims in their work. They also provide guidance to victims on how to receive assistance.There are special representatives for integration issues at the foreign missions in Ankara, Amman, Islamabad, and Nairobi. They provide consular assistance to individuals subjected to negative social control, honor based violence, involuntary stays abroad, forced marriage, and female genital mutilation. They also contribute to enhancing competence within the foreign service and the service system in Norway to prevent individuals from being sent abroad against their will.
  • Diversity advisors are deployed at selected lower and upper secondary schools in all the country’s counties, in addition to selected adult education centres.. They provide advice and guidance to individuals, conduct preventive group measures to raise students' awareness of their rights and choices, and help enhance the competence of employees in various support services.
  • The Directorate of Integration and Diversity's Competence Team for the Prevention of Negative Social Control and Honor Based Violence helps strengthen competence on negative social control and honor based violence in schools without diversity advisors, in refugee services, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration , adult education centers, and other support services.
  • The Directorate of Integration and Diversity's Competence Team for the Prevention of Negative Social Control and Honor Based Violence helps strengthen competence on negative social control and honor based violence in schools without diversity advisors, in refugee services, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration , adult education centers, and other support services.
  • A mentoring scheme has been established for young people exposed to negative social control, honor based violence, and forced marriage. The mentoring scheme provides young people who break away from their families with someone to be with in their daily lives and during holidays.
  • The National Housing and Support Service for individuals exposed to forced marriage, honor based violence and negative social control is for individuals over 18 years old who need a safe place to live and support to re-establish themselves.
  • Nora is an online portal about negative social control primarily aimed at young people. The portal shares real-life stories of young people living under pressure and provides information about rights and who to contact for help. The portal also offers guidance materials and educational resources for employees in support services.

In 2024, the Legal Committee on Negative Social Control submitted NOU 2024: 13 Law and Freedom – Negative Social Control, Honour‑Motivated Violence, Forced Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation, Psychological Violence and Involuntary Stays Abroad – Legal Issues and Proposals for Regulatory Changes. The committee assessed whether current legislation provides adequate legal protection for children, young people and adults who are subjected to negative social control and honour‑motivated violence.

The committee presented a wide range of recommendations and more than 60 concrete proposals for amendments to the legal framework, all aimed at strengthening the legal protection of individuals exposed to such practices.

Follow‑up of the NOU forms part of the key measures in the new action plan. In June 2025, the government presented Proposition 159 L (2024–2025), which includes a proposal for a new travel ban for children at risk of being subjected to harmful stays abroad. The proposal follows up recommendations from NOU 2024: 13 Law and Freedom and has been adopted by the Storting. The government will continue to consider the remaining proposals from the committee in the time ahead.

More Information on Efforts Against Negative Social Control and Honor Based Violence: