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Cultural Issues
Some BME Parents tend to view holding on to every aspect of their Culture, as fundamental to their sense of self-identity, self - worth and sense of belonging. A BME child therefore is growing in an environment where there is obvious contradiction. The Child is expected to adhere to the cultural norms at home. However when he/she begins interacting with others at the point of entering the school system these contradictions, if not managed properly by the parents and the school can lead to adverse effect on the child.

Some cultural practices have a negative effect on the BME Child:

The Issue of a Woman's Status
BME women, especially women from Asia Sub-Continent and parts of Africa, have a low status within the household. They lack knowledge of their rights and have restrictions on their personal freedom outside the family home. They totally depend on their husband and family. Lack Language skills and have no experience of interacting in the formal environment. The impact that has on the child is that, when the Mum is fleeing Domestic Abuse and leaves the home she has no skills/experience to deal with the child's basic needs such as:

Support with homework
Parents evenings
Going to GP's
Claiming child benefits
Challenging/advocating for the child in case of bullying and other issues.

The Girl Child and Forced Marriage
Forced Marriage cuts across religious and racial boundaries. It also cuts across caste boundaries, affecting rich and poor alike. Most victims are in their early teens to late twenties. Forced marriage is a form of domestic and/or child abuse.

Forced marriage may include the following features: physical and sexual violence; threatening behaviour; imprisonment; abduction; mental and social pressure, including emotional blackmail; restrictions on lifestyle such as limitations on movement, association, dress, education and career choices, oppressive financial controls; other demeaning, humiliating and controlling actions.


Boy Child
Coming from a culture where roles are distinctly divided along gender lines, the male child, in our experience find it extremely difficult to settle in the Refuge, which is an all Women environment. The results are symptoms of Juvenal delinquency, truancy etc. In BAWSO, we are tackling this problem with the Mentoring projects. Boys in Refuge need positive male role models; boys have to acknowledge that not every adult male is a Domestic Abuse perpetrator.

Role of Child as an Interpreter
BME children, whose mothers lack English language skills, find themselves playing the role of an interpreter and an advocate. What tends to happen is a change in the mother/child relationship because the child has access to very personal and private information about her Mum, which he/she would never have in a normal mum/child relationship. This affects the parent/child dynamics. The child assumes the enabler's role. Therefore when the Mum attempts to discipline or give guidance to the child, the Child finds it hard to see the Mum in that Parental role.

Dietary Needs
In BME communities, diet is not just linked to weight or healthy living. It is also linked to religion. A BME child's diet is part and parcel of his/ her existence. Therefore, acknowledging this in the provision of services by goes a long way in providing a full package of support to the child.

Childcare Patterns
The role of raising up a child in most BME communities is a Communal role, especially left to the older siblings. Therefore, in supporting a BME child, who has a natural role of looking after the younger brothers and sisters, service providers must be sensitive to this issue.  In this way they are able to work with the mums to ensure a long-term sustainable change of roles for the child.

Internalisation of Experiences
BME children are brought up in an environment of self-preservation where the world out there is unequal. The child first point of call is the immediate family this is a barrier for a child who is being abused within the household. The child will internalise the feelings and find it extremely difficult to share the negative experiences for example with teachers and friends.

Isolation from the Whole Community
BME families have very close connections to others in their own community. Having to flee from where they live means that they are isolated from not only their own families and relatives but also from others in their community. Since the community is so closely connected, the family may fear that any contact with the community will lead to their whereabouts being found out and isolate themselves further from the community in a new area. Many children from BME communities learn all aspects of life from same-sex adults, and this opportunity, especially in cases of boys, is likely to be lost if children are totally isolated from their own community.

Children Subjected to Abduction, Racial Attacks and Harassment
Black children living with Domestic Abuse may experience particular difficulties, especially when set against a racist and hostile society. BME children can have the additional threats of abduction abroad.

Also, adapting to a new life in a new area and at a new school is hard for any child, but it may more so with a BME child. After fleeing Domestic Abuse children may be subjected to racial attacks and harassment, and recovery from fear of violence may be unnecessarily prolonged.

Changes of School
Most children who come to the refuge have to change their school, some are due to geographical reasons, and the others are due to fear of being traced by the perpetrator. Change of school almost always causes some level of disruption in their education, and can affect their academic achievement and relationships with school friends. Many children whose first preferred language is not English may not be able to receive the extra support they used to have for a period of time after they are registered at a new school. This will, even to a greater extent, affect their academic achievement and self-confidence.

Accessing Services and Receiving Support
All the children experiencing or witnessing Domestic Abuse need some level of support. However, many BME children's first preferred languages is not English, and when it comes to receiving support including assessment, counselling, and participating in self support groups, they are likely to be disadvantaged. For example, there are very few counsellors from BME communities who can communicate with children in their preferred language and understand the cultural dimensions issues that children present. Use of an interpreter can put them in a vulnerable position. The language and cultural barrier can prevent BME children suffering effects of Domestic Abuse from accessing services and receiving support.

No Recourse to Public Funds
Some BME families fleeing Domestic Abuse from abroad or shortly after arriving in the UK have no recourse to Public Funds.  The impact of this means many BME families cannot enter the refuge and receive support and services. If they access the Refuge, families, are provided with financial support. However, the amount they receive is far less than they would have with state benefit, and it leads to financial difficulties. Many children from families with no recourse are unable to participate in school trips or after school clubs, have school meals, and cannot purchase the necessary resources for schoolwork.