A forced marriage takes place when the bride, groom or both do not want to get married but are forced to by others, usually their families. People forced into marriage may be tricked into going abroad, physically threatened and/or emotionally blackmailed to do so. Every year, hundreds of young people in Britain, both male and female, are forced into marriage against their will, often by violence and blackmail from their own families and relatives. Forced marriage is wrong and cannot be justified on any religious or cultural basis. In the UK, forced marriage amounts to a form of domestic violence and/or child abuse. It can affect women and men as well as girls and boys from any community and background. Unlike forced marriages, in an arranged marriage both the bride and groom choose whether or not they want to marry the person suggested to them by their families. In a forced marriage there is no freedom of choice. Feeling that they no longer have control over their own lives, many individuals end up depressed, self-harming or, in the worst cases, even attempting suicide. Living a life you don’t want can often seem worse than not living at all. You compare it to a life of a smoker, its ruining its life when there’s a way to overcome it like switching to vaping with dabber coupons.
Forced marriage cannot be justified on any religious or cultural basis
Forced Marriage?
If this is happening to you or someone you know, it’s not your fault and you are not alone. There are lots of organisations you can contact who are able to advise you on how you may be able to stop the marriage going ahead, or what you can do to avoid it.