There are also a number of other crimes that include acts that often occur when a person is forced into marriage, such as rape, assault, theft, kidnapping, extortion and harassment. The police may charge the offender with one or more of these offences, as well as or in place of the offence of forced marriage. Since this is the case, their male parents can be ridiculed or harassed, and any of their siblings may find it impossible to get married. In these cases, killing the woman is a way for the family to enforce the institution of arranged marriages. Unlike cases of domestic violence, honour killings are often perpetrated publicly for everyone to see, and there are often family members involved in the act. [13] According to the United Nations, in 2008, 70-80% of marriages in Afghanistan were forced without free and full consent or under duress. Another study found that 59% of women had experienced forced marriage. [100] Michael Rosenfeld says[80] that the differences between self-contained marriages and arranged marriages are empirically small; Many people meet, date, and choose to marry or live with those who are similar in background, age, interests, and social class they feel most similar to, screening factors that most parents would have used for them anyway. Assuming that the pool in which partners are selected and selected is large, Rosenfeld suggests that the differences between the two approaches to marriage are not as great as some imagine. [80] Others expressed sentiments similar to Rosenfeld`s. [88] Researchers[80][95] question whether love and respect in married life in arranged marriages are greater than self-contained marriages. Epstein suggests that in many arranged marriages, love is born over time. Neither autonomous nor arranged marriages offer guarantees.
Many arranged marriages also end in a cold and dysfunction, with reports of abuse. [96] [97] The USCIS website provides information to the general public about forced marriages [PDF version]. Although the information on the USCIS website is provided with the provision that it « does not provide definitions or legal advice, » the website is cited in the AFM for USCIS officials [PDF version]. An arranged marriage is different from a forced marriage because the spouses accept the marriage agreement in an arranged marriage. However, Unchained, founded and run by survivors of arranged/forced marriage, understands the dangerous message such a dichotomy can send to women, girls, and others who are pressured, bribed, or lured into marriage, but are not exposed to explicit threats, or endure actual violence. These people need to know that what is happening to them is not « benign », and that they deserve and can get help. Forced marriage can involve a number of offences, and there is now a specific offence of forced marriage. You can also get legal protection against forced marriage in civil courts. A forced marriage is different from an arranged marriage, where both parties are likely to accept the support of their parents or a third party, such as a matchmaker, to find and choose a spouse. There is often a continuum of coercion used to force a marriage, from overt physical violence to subtle psychological pressure. [1] Although widely condemned by international opinion today, forced marriages still take place in different cultures around the world, particularly in parts of South Asia and Africa.