16th Healthcare Interdisciplinary

Research Conference 4 and 5 November 2015

Awareness Level of Nursing Students Regarding Violence Against Women – An Example from Turkey

Gülseren ÇITAK TUNÇ, Nevin ÇITAK BİLGİN, Elif ERGİN KILINC-

Nursing Department,

Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey

Population: 73 997 128

Income group: Middle

As an ethnically diverse,Predominately: Muslim (%99)

Gross national income per capita: US$ 10 810

Global status report on violence prevention 2014

Social and cultural norms change: PARTİAL

Intimate partner violence prevention programmes: PARTİAL

Youth violence prevention programmes: PARTİAL

Legal age of marriage (male/female) 17 / 17

Dating violence prevention in schools: No

LAWS AND PREVENTION PROGRAMMES BY TYPE OF VIOLENCE

Child protection services: LIMITED

Medico-legal services for sexual violence: LIMITED

Mental health services: LIMITED

VICTIM SERVICES

Adult protective services: LIMITED

Violence is a public health problem affecting millions of people globally and a violation of human rights (WHO 28 March 2014).

All women on earth faces the risk of exposure to violence based on gender mainstreaming without any discrimination regarding

COUNTRY, ETHNİCİTY,

CLASS, RELİGİON,

ECONOMİC AND SOCİAL STATUS.

• 137 million people died in 2011 as a result of violence

• Of those deaths, 58% were due to self-directed violence,

• 35% due to interpersonal violence and

According to the report of WHO, themed Violence and Health 2014

• 6% due to collective violence.

Violence against women which maintains its global importance is one of the major social problems in Turkey.

• Domestic violence against women in Turkey had come to the fore by the mid-80s.

• The institutionalized process concerning elimination of violence against women has started by the 90s.

• The first step in the sense of legislation has been the Law on the Protection of Family no. 4320 dated 1998.

• Legal reforms aiming for the provision of gender mainstreaming have gained a momentum by the 2000s.

In Turkey;primary health care institutions are the first step of application for those exposed to domestic violence (Elmalı et al. 2011).

However, women exposed to violence do not mention this to healthcare personnel as they fear being 1-STİGMATİZED

2-AS THEY WANT TO PROTECT THEİR HUSBANDS (Yanıkkerem et al. 2006).

Aim1-

to determine the level of awareness and

knowledge of the nursing students in health

schools

Aim-2

regarding the projects and practices in Turkey

concerning violence against women.

Method

Response rate was found to be 77.0%.

Sampling method was notused in the study and it waspossible to reach the whole universe (total 235 students).

Research was concluded with181 students who accepted toparticipate. (1 st year: 1104th year: 71)

The universe of the descriptive studywas composed of Uludag University

Health School NursingDepartment students during 2013-2014

educational year.

Data Collection

Demographic characteristics

Experiencess questions of Violence

Questions concerning Violence Prevention project

Knowledge questions of violence

Questions concerning Violence Prevention centers

Ethical Issues Regarding the Research

• Written permissions received from Uludağ University Health School.

• Students were informed verbally that they are free to decide to participate or not to participate in the research

Data was analyzed through frequencies percentages

mean Chi-Square

using the Statistical Package program .

Data Analysis

Table 1: Distribution of Students According to Socio-Demographic Characteristics (n=181)

Socio-Demographic Characteristics Frequency Percent

Gender

Female 151 83,4

Male 30 16,6

Mean age 20,44±2.35(min:18 max: 34

Sibling 2.30±2.0(min:0-max:10)

Year at School

1st year 110 60.8

4 th year 71 39.2

43.3

37.3

7.8

5.3

6.3

Type of Violence Witnessed

Against women

Against children

Against Elder

Against men

Other (orphant, migrant,disabled)

Graphic 1: Distribution of the Studets Type of Violence Witnessed(n=319)

15,5

84,5

0

20

40

60

80

100Percent

Being Exposed to Violence

Exposed

Notexposed

Students Being Exposed to Violence

Graphic 2: Distribution of the Students Being Exposed to

Violence (n=181)

Physical Sexula Psychological0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

67.9

25

7.1

Type of Violence Exposed

Graphic 3: Distribution of the Students Exposed of Violence(n= 28)

Table 2: Comparison of Exposure to Violence by

Gender by the Students (n=181)

 

Gender

Exposed to Violence Non Exposed to

Violence

Total

n %

n % n %

Female 17 11.3 134 88.7 151 100

Male 11 36.7 19 63.3 30 100

  X2: 12.356 p:0.000

Table 3: Distribution of the Students by their Answers to Information Questions regarding the Violence against Women

(n:181)

TYPE OF VİOLENCE

STATEMENTKNOWN

n %

UNKNOWN

n %

TOTAL

n %

Physical

Injuring the women with sharp objects 178 98.3 3 1.7 181 100.0

Forcing the women to live in unhealthy conditions

97 53.6 84 46.4 181 100.0

Psychological

Keeping the women in constant control on the grounds of jealousy

173 95.6 8 4.4 181 100.0

Deciding the attire of women for herself 158 87.3 23 12.7 181 100.0

Sexual

Marital rape 169 93.4 12 6.6 181 100.0

Forcing the women to/not to bear a child 99 54.7 82 45.3 181 100.0

Economic

Not giving money to the women 180 99.4 1 0.6 181 100.0

Taking away the money and income of the women

176 97.2 5 2.8 181 100.0

Table 4: Distribution of the Students on the basis of wheter they Know About the Centres Combatting Violence, attached to the

Ministry of Family and Social Policies (MOFSP) (n:181)

Knowledge about the Centres attached to the MOFSP

n %

KNOWN

121 66.9

UNKNOWN

60 33.1

KNOWN CENTRES (n:239)*Koza (Cocoon) 5 2.1

Family Counselling Centres 75 31.4

Family Centres 37 15.5

ALO 183 line 80 33.5

Gelincik (Child Brides) Call Line 13 5.4

Emergency Departments of the Hospitals 29 12.1

*Students gave more than one answer

“Evlilik Okulu Projesi” EVOP (Marriage School) Project developed to prevent the possible problems in

marriage and to explain the national, moral, and social importance of the

family to married couples or to couples that are going to marry

(Stop Child Marriage) "Çocuk Gelinlere Hayır" Project

developed to prevent the marriage of girls at an early

age

(Child not Brides“Gelincik") Project developed to gain rights against violence and

abuse

(Family Ombudsman) “Aile Ombudsmanlığı" Project for the people considering divorce

” (Panic Button) “Panik ButonProject described as “an

electronic support system for the protection of women victims of

violence”

PROJECTS

Table 5: Distribution of the Students on the basis of whether they know about the Projects of MOFSP to Combat Violence Against

Women (n:181)

NAME OF THE PROJECT

KNOWN BY STUDENTS n %

NOT KNOWN BY STUDENTS

n %

Total

n %

PANİK BUTON PROJESİ

(PANİC BUTTON PROJECT)

37 20.4 144 79.6 181 100.0

GELİNCİK PROJESİ

(CHİLD not BRİDES PROJECT)

33 18.2 148 81.8 181 100.0

EVLİLİK OKULU PROJESİ (MARRİAGE SCHOOL PROJECT)

37 20.4 144 79.6 181 100.0

AİLE OMBUDSMANLIĞI PROJESİ

(FAMİLY OMBUDSMAN PROJECT)

17 9.4 164 90.6 181 100.0

ÇOCUK GELİNLERE HAYIR PROJESİ

(STOP CHİLD MARRİAGE PROJECT)

130 71.8 51 28.2 181 100.0

Table 6: Distribution of the Students Institutions that the Students Find Effective in Combatting Violence against Women and the

Students’ Solution Proposals

Institutions that the Students Find Effective in Combatting Violence (n:395 *)

n %

GOVERMENT 109 27.6

CİVİL SOCİETY ORGANİZATİONS 133 33.6

MEDİA 120 30.4

PRİVATE SECTOR 33 8.4

Solution Proposals to Prevent Violence

(n: 459*)INCREASİNG SOCİAL AWARENESS 169 36.8

ELİMİNATİON OF GENDER INEQUALİTY 138 30.1

POPULARİZATİON OF THE CENTRES TO PREVENT AND MONİTOR VİOLENCE

152 33.1

*Students gave more than one answer

• In this study, it has been determined that the awareness of the nursing students regarding violence vary according to their gender and year of school.

• In order to raise the awareness of the nursing students at an

early phase, regarding the prevention of violence, it may be

suggested to cover this issue within the education programmes,

• to develop programmes in schools for the prevention of

“violence applied by the partners”,

• to improve health policies by including the establishment of

communication networks and organization of the awareness

raising trainings for the healthcare personnel.

SUGGESTIONS

In an era that physical force has lost its importance, how can a sociaty that beats and contains women at home heal?

WOMEN ACTION

Thanks on behalf of all women