Lesson video

Hello, my name's Ms. Willow and I'm going to be your teacher for today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called "Forced marriage" and it fits into the unit "Staying safe and healthy: forced marriage, FGM, hymenoplasty & virginity testing." Before we get going, I want to acknowledge that this lesson does cover some sensitive issues, so some of what we cover might be upsetting.

You must be supervised with an adult when you're completing this lesson, so if you don't have an adult with you right now, please come back to this lesson when you have an adult with you.

If at any point during this video you do feel upset or concerned, it's really important that you close the screen and that you speak to a trusted adult.

Okay, let's make a start on today's lesson.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain forced marriage, the law relating to it, and where someone can access support if they are concerned.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we need to go over some ground rules.

These help to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable during today's lesson.

First of all, Laura says that we need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with someone else, but it's important that we listen properly before we make any assumptions or before we decide how to respond.

When we disagree with someone else, it's important to challenge the statement and not the person themselves.

Next, Andeep says that we need to respect each other's privacy.

It's okay to discuss examples, but we shouldn't use any names or any descriptions that could identify anyone, including ourselves.

If we want to share a story, we can refer to someone as "my friend." This means that we're not going to give away any identifying information.

Next, Jacob says, "No judgment." We can explore any beliefs or misunderstandings that we have about a topic without fear of being judged by others.

And finally, Izzy says that we can choose our level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in with discussion.

We should never put anyone on the spot, as this can make some people feel uncomfortable.

We're now going to take a look at the keywords for today's lesson.

As we go through the lesson, you may notice that these words come up in bold.

First of all, we have forced marriage.

This is when someone is made to marry without their consent, including anyone under the age of 18, anyone pressured or threatened, or anyone who cannot make that decision for themselves.

Coercion, this is forcing someone to do something against their will through threats, pressure, or intimidation.

Today's lesson is split into three learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called, "What is forced marriage?" Our second learning cycle is called, "What does the law say about forced marriage?" And our last learning cycle is called, "Where can someone get support?" Let's make a start on our first learning cycle.

We're going to answer the question, what is forced marriage? Understanding forced marriage requires first looking at what makes a legal marriage in the UK.

This means that it's recognized by the law.

In England and Wales, two people can enter into a legal marriage if they're both over the age of 18, they both give their full consent to the marriage, and there's no coercion or threats.

Marriage laws are different across the UK.

So in England and Wales, the minimum age to marry is now 18, while Scotland allows marriage at 16 with or without parental consent, and Northern Ireland currently follows the 16 with parental consent rule.

A forced marriage is when someone is forced to marry through threats, pressure, or abuse, or when they cannot legally agree to the marriage, such as being under the age of 18 or having learning disabilities.

It only takes one person in the marriage to be forced or unable to consent for the marriage to be considered a forced marriage.

Someone who had a forced marriage might say something like this.

"I never wanted to marry, but I was told I had no choice.

I felt scared and trapped." Natalie, the social worker, says that children under the age of 18 can't give consent to marriage.

That means that if someone under the age of 18 is made to marry, it's always a forced marriage.

This is different to arranged marriages for adults, where both people agree to get married.

Young girls are often most at risk, which is why it's really important that we all understand what consent means.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing.

I'd like you to decide if this statement is true or false.

It is only a forced marriage if both adults who do not consent are pressured into getting married.

What do you think, is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false, but why? You might have said something like a forced marriage can happen even if only one adult does not consent.

It doesn't require both people to be unwilling or not giving consent for it to be considered a forced marriage.

Natalie the social worker says that forced marriage is recognized in the UK as a form of domestic or child abuse, and it is a serious abuse of human rights.

Forced marriage happens in communities across the UK, regardless of religion, culture, or background.

It's never acceptable and it's not justified by culture, religion, or tradition.

However, it's important to understand that forced marriage is very different from arranged marriage, which is a legitimate practice in many cultures.

In an arranged marriage, families may help someone to choose a partner, but both of the adults freely agree to marry.

There's no pressure, threats, or abuse.

Someone who's experienced an arranged marriage might say something like, "We met through our families, but I chose to marry because I love and respect my partner.

I'm really happy." Police Officer Kofi says that the key difference between a forced marriage and an arranged marriage is consent.

In an arranged marriage, both adults choose freely.

They give consent to marry each other.

However, in a forced marriage, at least one adult is not free to choose and they haven't or can't consent.

There are some common myths about forced marriage.

First of all, that the couple will learn to love each other after marriage.

However, this isn't true.

Marriage without consent causes lasting trauma and harm for the individuals involved.

Love cannot be forced.

Another myth is that forced marriage only happens to women and girls.

However, the truth is that both men and women can be victims of forced marriage, although women are more commonly affected.

Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

Laura is confused about the difference between arranged marriages and forced marriages.

What could you say to help her? Laura says, "I've heard the terms forced marriage and arranged marriage.

I think they mean the same thing." What could you say to help Laura understand the difference between arranged and forced marriages? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

You might have said something like forced marriage and arranged marriage aren't the same.

An arranged marriage is where both people choose to marry and consent to marrying each other, but a forced marriage means that someone is made to marry without their choice or without being able to consent.

Well done if your answer was something like this.

We're now going to put your learning from this learning cycle into practice.

For this task, I'd like you to discuss the following two questions with a partner.

Number one, who can enter into a legal marriage in the UK? And number two, what is a forced marriage? Pause the video and we'll go through some model answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

You might have said that in England and Wales, a legal marriage can only happen if both people involved are 18 or older and they freely agree to marry without any pressure, coercion, or threats.

Number two, what is a forced marriage? You might have said that a forced marriage is when one or both people in the marriage do not consent or they're unable to consent to getting married.

This happens when people are pressured, threatened, or forced through abuse to marry someone, or when they're not legally able to give consent, maybe because they're under 18 or because they have learning disabilities that affect their ability to give consent and to make such important decisions like choosing to marry someone.

Well done if your answers were anything like this.

We're now moving on to our second learning cycle.

We're going to answer the question, what does the law say about forced marriage? Ms. Walsh is the Designated Safeguarding Lead at Oak National Academy, and every school has a DSL.

Ms. Walsh says that in the UK, once you are an adult, you have the right to choose who you marry, when you marry, and if you get married at all.

The UK has very clear laws to protect people from forced marriage.

Forced marriage offenses include taking someone overseas to force them to marry, or forcing someone who is incapable of consenting to marry.

Forcing someone to marry can result in up to seven years in prison, so the UK is very clear about forced marriage.

Ms. Welsh says that the law is also very clear that any behavior resulting in the marriage of under-18s is a crime.

It doesn't have to be coercive or threatening.

Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

I'd like you to decide if this statement is true or false.

Taking someone overseas to force them to marry is against the law in the UK.

What do you think, is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is true.

It's true that taking someone overseas to force them to marry is against the law in the UK.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 made forced marriage a criminal offense in England and Wales.

Under this law, someone will commit an offense if he or she uses violence, threats, or any other form of coercion to cause another person to enter into a marriage without their free and full consent.

This means that the law recognizes that coercion doesn't just have to be physical violence.

It includes any form of pressure that takes away someone's free choice to say no to marriage.

Pressure to marry can happen in different ways.

This can include physical abuse, so hurting someone or using violence to make them agree to marry.

It can also include emotional or psychological abuse.

This could involve making someone feel ashamed, guilty, or left out until they agreed to get married.

There's also financial abuse, so this could involve taking away money or stopping someone from having what they need until they agree to get married.

There's also sexual abuse, so making someone take part in sexual activity that they do not want.

Police Officer Paula says that forcing someone to marry doesn't always just break one law.

It can also break many other laws depending on how it happens.

A person could be charged with crimes like assault, kidnap or harassment, and each of these carries serious penalties in the eyes of the law.

Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

Which of these could be classed as pressure that may lead to a forced marriage under UK law? A, threatening to harm a family member if someone refuses to marry.

B, taking someone abroad to force them to marry.

Or C, encouraging two people to meet and get to know each other before marriage.

Which of those options could be classed as pressure that may lead to a forced marriage under UK law? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that A and B are correct.

Threatening to harm a family member if someone refuses to marry or taking someone abroad to force them to marry are both examples of things that could be classed as pressure that may lead to a forced marriage under UK law.

Well done if you said the same thing.

We're now moving on to your second practice task and well done for your hard work so far.

I'd like you to read each scenario and decide if it's against the law or not against the law in England and Wales, then write one sentence to explain why.

Here's our first scenario.

A 20-year-old is told by their parents that they must marry an adult that they've never met.

They're told that they'll be cut off from the family and made to feel ashamed if they refuse.

Scenario two.

In England, a 19-year-old and a 17-year-old chose to marry each other and both consented without threats or pressure.

And finally, scenario three.

A family takes their 17-year-old relative overseas to marry someone that they've never met.

The relative says that they don't want to marry but is told that they must.

For each of those scenarios, I'd like you to decide if it's against the law or not against the law in England and Wales, and I'd like you to explain why.

Pause the video and we'll go through what you might have said in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For the first scenario, you might have said that this is against the law because there's no consent and the person is facing emotional and psychological pressure, which makes it a forced marriage.

For scenario two, you might have said that this is against the law as people in England have to be over 18 to get married.

For scenario three, you might have said that this is against the law because the person is under 18, hasn't given consent, and is being taken overseas to be forced to marry.

Well done if you said the same thing.

It's now time to move on to our final learning cycle, "Where can someone get support?" Someone facing a forced marriage might feel scared or anxious about the future.

They might feel trapped and unable to say no, they might feel worried about letting down their family, and they might feel alone or unsure of who to trust.

If you or someone you know is going through this, it's important to remember that help is available.

If someone is worried about being forced to marry, they can talk to a trusted teacher or school staff member such as the Designated Safeguarding Lead, or DSL, and remember that every school will have one of these.

The police, who can act quickly to come up with a plan to keep someone safe.

And charities and helplines, including those who are specialists in forced marriage.

Ms. Walsh says that "If you tell me or another teacher, I can take action straight away to keep you safe.

I'll listen, believe you, and get help from the right people, like the police or the Forced Marriage Unit." If you speak to a trusted adult about your concerns and they don't listen or take action straight away, it's important to speak to another trusted adult until your voice is heard.

If you think a friend might be at risk of forced marriage, you can help by listening to them without judgment.

You can let them know that you believe them.

You can encourage them to speak to a trusted adult themselves, like a teacher or the police.

Report your concerns to a teacher or the DSL yourself if your friend is resistant, or offer to go with them for support.

It's also really important to not keep this a secret.

It's important to explain that getting help is more important than keeping secrets.

Josephine says to remember that if someone's life is in immediate danger, you should call 999.

You can also call 101 if you'd like support from the police but it's not an emergency.

Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

I'd like you to complete the missing phrase.

"If you're worried about a forced marriage at school, you should speak to any blank, such as the Designated Safeguarding Lead, for help." Where I've said the word blank, which word is missing to make the sentence correct? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that the phrase "trusted adult" fits into our sentence.

"If you're worried about a forced marriage at school, you should speak to any trusted adult, such as the Designated Safeguarding Lead, for help." You could also talk to any teacher or member of school staff that you feel safe with and that you know will support you.

The Forced Marriage Unit, or FMU, is a government service that helps people in the UK or abroad who are at risk of being forced to marry and those that have already experienced a forced marriage.

They can support people by offering confidential advice.

This means that it's considered private, unless someone is in danger.

They can also support people by supporting someone through the legal steps, such as getting a forced marriage protection order.

They can help someone to leave a dangerous situation.

They can also work with police, social workers, and officials from other countries.

Police Officer Paula explains that a forced marriage protection order is a legal order made by a court to protect someone from being forced into a marriage or to help someone who's already in one.

Someone can apply for one if they or someone else is being threatened with a forced marriage or if they're already in one.

Someone can apply themselves, but a friend, family member, or trusted adult can also do it for them.

Police Officer Paula continues.

She says that it's important to know that people do successfully escape forced marriages and they go on to rebuild their lives.

With the right support from organizations like the Forced Marriage Unit and specialist charities, survivors of forced marriage can find safety, continue their education, and form healthy relationships that are based on their own choices.

Let's do another check for understanding.

I'd like you to decide if the statement is true or false.

The Forced Marriage Unit can only help people who are already married.

What do you think? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false, but why? You might have said that the Forced Marriage Unit can help people at risk of being forced to marry and those already in a forced marriage.

Well done if you said the same thing.

We're now moving on to our final practice task, and well done for your hard work in this lesson.

I'd like you to read this scenario and answer the following questions.

Here's our scenario.

15-year-old Sara confides in her friends that her family is planning to take her abroad to marry someone that she's never met.

She says that she doesn't want to go, but she feels she has no choice.

Question number one, what signs show Sara might need urgent help? Question two, who should she speak to first and why? And question three, how could the Forced Marriage Unit help her? Pause the video and we'll go through some model answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For question one, what signs show Sara might need urgent help? You might have said that Sara is being taken abroad to marry someone that she's never met.

She said that she doesn't want to go, that she feels she has no choice, showing she's under pressure, and she can't give consent, as she's only 15.

These are all signs that Sara needs urgent help.

For question two, who should she speak to first and why? You might have said that Sara should speak to her school's Designated Safeguarding Lead, or DSL, because they can take immediate action to protect her.

The DSL can then contact the police and the Forced Marriage Unit quickly.

And speaking to a trusted adult like a police officer will mean Sara's safety plan can then start straight away.

For question three, how could the Forced Marriage Unit help her? You might have said that they can give Sara confidential advice about her rights and her options.

The Forced Marriage Unit can work with police and social workers to keep Sara safe in the UK, and they can also support Sara through legal steps such as getting a forced marriage protection order.

Well done if your answers were anything like this.

We're now going to summarize the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson we've learned that a forced marriage is when one or both people do not or cannot give consent.

A forced marriage is different from an arranged marriage where both people freely agree to marry.

Pressure and coercion can include physical, emotional, financial, or sexual abuse.

The UK has clear laws around forced marriage.

It's illegal in the UK, including taking someone abroad to get married.

If you're worried about forced marriage either for yourself or someone else, it's really important that you speak to a teacher, a Designated Safeguarding Lead at school, the police or the Forced Marriage Unit for confidential help.

In today's lesson you might have found that you've got some worries or questions, and if you do, it's really important that you share these with a trusted adult.

There's also some resources on the screen that are there to support you too.

Well done for your hard work in today's lesson.

I hope to see you again soon.