Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention among Married Women in Central Anatolia

Abstract

This study examines domestic violence and aims at increasing women’s awareness of it. The authors collected data from 1039 married women at 12 Family Health Centers (FHCs) in Konya, Turkey. Of all women, 39.9 % reported the type of violence given by their husbands as verbal, 31.7 % as emotional, 23.9 % as physical, 13.5 % as sexual and economic violence. While 33 % cited jealousy as a reason for domestic violence, 10.4 % reported to apply to a police station, and 12.2 % to a health center. After experiencing violence, 40 % were found to know how to apply to a state agency while only 1 % reported to know about183, the violence hotline in Turkey. Furthermore, only 9 % were detected to know about legal regulations protecting women and families, 6.2 % to be aware of the Turkish penal code, and 3.5 % to know about the Turkish civil code. However, only 2 % of participants responded correctly, but incompletely to the items in the questionnaire regarding legal changes.