Almost half of boys and one in five girls in Jordan 's capital city , Amman , believe that killing a woman who has `` dishonored , '' or shamed , her family is justifiable , a study of teenagers ' attitudes published Thursday revealed . A third of all teenagers involved in the study by researchers at Britain 's Cambridge University advocated so-called honor murders . Exclusive : How my brother tried to kill me in 'honor attack ' A key finding was that support for honor crimes was not connected to religious beliefs , but is far more likely in adolescent boys with low education backgrounds from traditional families . Professor Manuel Eisner and Cambridge graduate student Lana Ghuneim interviewed more than 850 teenagers , with an average age of 15 , for the study , published in the journal Aggressive Behavior . Disappearance , then discovery leads to 'honor killing ' outrage . Honor crimes can include physical assaults , rape , acid attacks and disfigurement , as well as murder . They can be triggered by a range of acts thought to bring shame on the family , from premarital sex to adultery to pregnancy outside marriage , or even contact by the woman with a man who is not a relation . The researchers say their study is one of the first to attempt to gauge cultural attitudes about honor murders in the region . It found that attitudes in support of honor murders `` are anchored in a broader system of beliefs about patriarchal authority and dominance , and assumptions about female virginity and chastity . '' This means that any attempt to change views would probably need to tackle the broader cultural support for patriarchal dominance , it said . 'Honor ' crime : Why just kissing a boy can trigger murder . In total , 33.4 % of all those surveyed either `` agreed '' or `` strongly agreed '' with situations depicting honor killings . Boys were more than twice as likely to support honor killings : 46.1 % of boys and 22.1 % of girls agreed with at least two honor killing situations in the questionnaire . About six in 10 teenagers from the lowest level of educational background showed supportive attitudes towards honor killing , as opposed to about one in five where at least one family member has a university degree . Teenagers who had a large number of siblings were more likely to condone honor killings than those from smaller families , the study found . Belief Blog : Islam does n't justify 'honor murders , ' experts insist . `` While we found the main demographic in support of HKA ( honor killing attitudes ) to be boys in traditional families with low levels of education , we noted substantial minorities of girls , well-educated and even irreligious teenagers who consider honor killing morally right , suggesting a persisting society-wide support for the tradition , '' said Eisner . `` Any meaningful attempt to reduce attitudes in support of such practices requires a broader societal commitment , including coherent messages against honor-related violence from political and religious elites , and decisive action by the criminal justice system . '' Jordan has a long traditional of honor crimes , the researchers note , although it has taken steps in recent years to pass stricter laws against the practice . Until 2001 , an article of the Jordanian Penal Code stated that a man who `` catches his wife , or one of his female close relatives committing adultery with another , and he kills wounds or injures one or both of them , is exempt from any penalty . '' In line with new legislation passed since then , a special court was set up in 2009 to prosecute honor crimes , the researchers say . But their study indicates attitudes are not necessarily changing in line with new legislation , even in a younger generation .
Researchers look at attitudes about `` honor '' murders among teenagers in Amman , Jordan . The study found that the number of people who believe it is acceptable to kill a teenager for being gay has increased from 20 percent in 2000 to 40 percent today. Study : Support is `` anchored in a broader system of beliefs about patriarchal authority '' Teenage boys with low education backgrounds are more likely to condone honor killings .