P-694 - Gender differences in terms of exposure to violence: a study of turkish adolescence

Abstract

Introduction Violence is a public health issue that directly affects every single individual within any society. Adolescence is a crucial period in one's lifespan, whereby risky and aggressive behavior and overall exposure to violence increases. According to the literature; certain genders are subject to differing violence types. Studying violence is of importance in developing countries such as Turkey. Objective The main aim of this study was to understand the gender differences in terms of exposure to different kinds of violent behaviors among Turkish adolescents. Method The sample consisted of 999 8th and 9th grade students. Participants completed a survey that provided information about the frequency of direct and indirect exposure to physical, verbal, sexual and relational violence. One-way ANOVA analysis was used to compare the differences. Results The results showed that males were more frequently exposed to violence; in particular to verbal and physical. Females were found to be exposed to more sexual violence. These findings were consistent with the literature. However, it was also found that, contrary to expectations, males also reported being directly exposed to relational violence more frequently and there was no significant difference between genders, in terms of indirect exposure to relational violence. The different findings can be explained by cultural differences. Conclusion This study provides invaluable information about exposure to violence within adolescents in the Turkish population. The results emphasize the importance of culture while working on gender differences.