My Marriage My Choice

My Marriage My Choice is a two year study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research - School of Social Care Research (NIHR-SSCR).

The study is being led by Rachael Clawson at the University of Nottingham, in collaboration with colleagues at University of Kent, at RESPOND and Ann Craft Trust.

Key project aims

The study is exploring forced marriage of adults with learning disabilities from a safeguarding perspective with the intention of developing knowledge, policy and practice to support professionals in their work of safeguarding vulnerable children and adults.

Forced marriage is defined as a marriage without the consent of one or both parties and where duress is a factor (UK Government Forced Marriage Unit). In a forced marriage one or both spouses do not, or cannot, due to lacking capacity, consent to the marriage.

Furthermore the My Marriage My Choice project will raise awareness of forced marriage in order that all of those who are involved in the education, care and support of individuals who cannot effectively consent to any such undertaking, might be empowered to recognise forced marriage as such and respond appropriately.