Combating Negative Social Control and Honor Based Violence in Norway

Negative social control and honor based violence are serious societal issues that threaten fundamental human rights and individual freedom.

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 based 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 based violence, Norway has implemented a range of measures. 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 regular services, 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 Competence Team against Negative Social Control and Honor Based Violence is a national interdisciplinary expert team that assists the support system in cases of negative social control, honor based violence, forced marriage, and female genital mutilation. The team receives inquiries from employees in various agencies such as child welfare services, the police, kindergartens, schools, asylum reception centers, health stations, crisis centers, Norwegian foreign missions, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, and the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. Individuals at risk can also contact the team directly for assistance.
  • There are special envoys 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 capacity building within the foreign service and support services in Norway.
  • Diversity advisors are deployed in schools in all counties. Diversity advisors 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 Expert 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. Additionally, the expert team helps to raise awareness of other services in the field.
  • 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.

The government is developing a new action plan against negative social control and honor based violence with concrete measures on how to prevent and combat the problem. The action plan will be presented in the spring of 2025.

The government is also following up on several important measures in the Escalation Plan against Violence and Abuse against Children and Domestic Violence (2024-2028), where the prevention and combat of negative social control and honor based violence are part of the broad cross-sectoral efforts against violence and abuse.

In 2024, a law committee appointed by the government delivered NOU 2024: 13 Law and Freedom - Negative Social Control, Honor-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 and young people subjected to negative social control, etc. The committee proposes several regulatory changes that will contribute to more effective protection against serious violations of the individual's physical and psychological integrity and clarify the regulations for the support system. NOU 2024:13 serves as a key knowledge base in the development of the new action plan.  

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

  • Negative Social Control | IMDi 
  • no – National Guide on Violence and Abuse
  • Nettportalen Nora - on Negative Social Control and Honor Based Violence for Both Youth and Employees in Support Services (imdi.no)
  • no - on Forced Marriage, Negative Social Control, and Honor Based Violence (bufdir.no)
  • Handbook for Prevention and Handling of Negative Social Control and Honor Based Violence - a Guidance Resource Intended to Assist in Handling Cases Involving Negative Social Control, Honor Based Violence, Forced Marriage, Child Marriage, and Female Genital Mutilation (IMDi)
  • no - an Information Portal for Professionals Meeting Young People Who May Be Subjected to Negative Social Control, Forced Marriage, and Female Genital Mutilation (RVTS sst)
  • no - for Resource Persons Wishing to Strengthen Their Professional Competence in Negative Social Control and Honor Based Violence
  • Guide on Female Genital Mutilation - for Employees in Support Services (nkvts.no)