Attitudes of University Students Towards Domestic Violence Against Women

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of university students towards domestic violence against women. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on students attending the School of Nursing and School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at a university in Turkey. The study was conducted between February 2015 and May 2015. The study was conducted on 415 volunteer students without resorting to the sampling selection method. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form and The Scale of Attitude Toward Domestic Violence. The data were analysed using frequencies, means, standard deviations, independent t-tests and ANOVA. Results: The mean of attitude scores of university students toward domestic violence were 23.13 +/- 6.66 and were affected by variables such as gender, and whether the questions should be asked to women who experienced domestic violence such as: "Does your partner have justified reasons for applying domestic violence against women?" and "Should domestic violence against women be shared by others?" and "Does domestic violence against women bother you?" (p<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, the mean of attitude scores of university students toward domestic violence were found to be low and their attitudes toward domestic violence were found to be unfavorable. It was suggested that education programs (seminars and conferences) consisting of information, guidance, stimulation and prevention be organized to reach out to university students who are interested in domestic violence against women.