Honour-related beliefs and risk of harm : theory and challenges for policing

One of the main themes of this book is the idea that vulnerability, rather than being a fixed characteristic of individuals, is better considered as susceptibility to increased harm (Kotow 2003; see also Bartkowiak-Theron et al. in this collection). This is important as it suggests that individuals do not necessarily need to exhibit overt vulnerabilities such as physical or intellectual disabilities or mental health problems in order to be vulnerable. Essentially, everyone has the capacity to be vulnerable when placed in the right circumstances and becoming vulnerable is possible for those who would not ordinarily be regarded as such. Relevant to this perspective is the importance of situational characteristics. This is because the situation in which an individual finds him or herself may have characteristics that, in interaction with their personal characteristics (such as personality traits, attitudes and beliefs), may engender increased susceptibility to harm (Mishcel and Shoda 1995).