Attitudes of Palestinian Physicians Toward Wife Abuse

Abstract

The article presents results from a larger survey, which examined the attitudes and perceptions of Palestinian physicians (N = 396) toward wife abuse. The instrument was a self-administered questionnaire, with open-ended questions in which participants expressed their definitions of wife abuse, their perceptions of the causes of wife abuse, and their perceptions of appropriate interventions with wife abuse. The relevance of the sociocultural contexts of Palestinian society in particular and Arab societies in general to the participants' responses is highlighted in the article. The limitations of the study as well as implications for theory development, future research, and professional training are discussed.

Intersectionality and fatherhood: Theorizing non‐hegemonic fatherhoods

“…Accordingly, their sense of identity and cultural vitality are constantly challenged. Studies also portrayed the Palestinian masculinity in Israel as highly affected by sex-role stereotypes, negative and traditional attitudes toward women, non-egalitarian marital role expectations, and familial patriarchal beliefs (Haj-Yahia, 2013). In this context, Khoury (2018) examined the experiences of Palestinian fathers in egalitarian families and described their attempts to define their fatherhood between their conservative immediate surroundings and their life as part of a marginalized minority.…”

Attitudes of Palestinians Toward Social Work Interventions in Cases of Wife Assault

“…Furthermore, the same survey found that 30.2% of abused Palestinian wives (24% and 37.7% from the WB and GS, respectively) reported that they had left their homes and sought help, support, and protection from their fathers, brothers, or relatives. In contrast, the survey revealed that only 0.7% of the abused Palestinian wives, from both the WB and GS, reported seeking advice and counseling from a formal social organization or women’s center (Haj-Yahia, 2013a).…”

“…Despite these high rates of wife abuse and assault in Palestinian society in the WB and GS, research has shown that abused wives in this society rarely seek help from official organizations as a mode of coping with their husbands’ abusive and assaultive behaviors. For the most part, they prefer keeping their suffering to themselves or seeking advice and protection from their families of origin (Btoush & Haj-Yahia, 2008; Haj-Yahia, 2000b, 2002b, 2013a). The 2011 PCBS survey revealed that 65.3% of abused and assaulted wives (64.8% and 66% from the WB and GS, respectively) indicated that they did not tell anyone about their experience with abuse and assault.…”