Domestic violence against women and women's opinions related to domestic violence


Efe Ş., Ayaz Alkaya S.

ANADOLU PSIKIYATRI DERGISI-ANATOLIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY, vol.11, no.1, pp.23-29, 2010 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 11 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2010
  • Journal Name: ANADOLU PSIKIYATRI DERGISI-ANATOLIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
  • Page Numbers: pp.23-29
  • Keywords: women, domestic violence, Domestic Violence Against Women Determination Scale, PREGNANCY, TURKEY
  • Gazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Objective: Domestic violence is a chronic health problem, which affects women in all socioeconomic groups and causes many physical, psychosocial problems for women. This research was conducted in a descriptive way to identify the married women's status of exposure to domestic violence, level of violence, their opinion about violence and factors affecting the exposure to violence. Methods: Three hundred and seventy older than fifteen years age and married women who live in Kale region were included in the study. Kale region is a low socio-economical slum area of the capital city of Turkey. The questionnaire and Domestic Violence against Women Determination Scale was used to collect data. Results: It was determined that 88.1% of women defined violence as physical (beating); 28.6% of them stated that the reason of violence was disobeying their husbands and 43.2% of them thought that violence was acceptable when betrayal exists and 25.9% of them believed that violence can be prevented by education. The mean score taken from the scale was 183.2 +/- 44.5. The scores of the women who are illiterate, whose husband do not work, who are in poor economic status and age difference with her husband is high (5-9 years) were determined significantly high (p<0.05). The scores of the women who states that her husband performs violence to herself, pounds the children, and describes that she has good character and her husband has a bad temper were identified to have higher scores. Conclusion: It is found that all of the women are exposed to violence and women who have some socio-demographic characteristics exposed to violence more than others. Informing the women about domestic violence and types of it and empowering the women was recommended to prevent and eliminate the violence. (Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry 2010; 11:23-29)