How do cultural differences influence investigations into the protection of individuals from harm and abuse?

Answer 1

Individuals who are not part of the dominant culture may have different ideas about what constitutes abuse than do the individuals doing the investigation. The onus is on the investigator to be aware of these differences and the way the investigation is conducted may need to be modified. Using other members of the culture, perhaps those who are more "assimilated" into the dominant culture, to help both the investigator and the persons being investigated may be helpful. But ultimately, the standards of the dominant culture will prevail when there is an issue of serious risk. A good example would be a situation in which parents are refusing medical care for a child based on religious beliefs. In some circumstances there may be a way to compromise. The person doing the investigation would need to be sensitive to the religious beliefs of the family, but also ensure that the child is receiving appropriate care. In some cases, the medical concern may be life threatening. In these instances, there is precedent for the government agency to take guardianship of the child in order to allow life-saving medical procedures to take place. This would be an extreme example. However, in most cases, there are gray areas and the investigator must be aware that individuals of a different cultural background may be confused and / or angered by standards being imposed on them and that they may or may not be willing to alter the behaviours which are deemed to be inappropriate.

Answer 2

I would guess that they usually work to the advantage of the person being investigated because if the police investigate a native of their country then they only have to prove that the person being investigated is either guilty or not.

If the person is of a different ethnic group then the police have to be extra careful because the person being investigated can claim unfair treatment on the grounds of prejudice.

Answer 3

Look up FGM or female genital mutilation


And family honour as in Honour killings

You will get your answer