Determination of the factors affecting sexual violence against women in Turkey: a population-based analysis

Abstract

Background Sexual violence is one of the most investigated types of violence by national and international decision makers. The purpose of this study was to detect the factors that affect sexual violence against women in Turkey. Methods In this study, a cross-sectional data set was employed from the survey titled the National Research on Domestic Violence against Women in Turkey, which was conducted by the Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies. Binary logistic and probit regression analyses were used to determine the factors influential in women’s exposure to sexual violence. Results The findings obtained from the analyses indicated that women’s exposure to sexual violence was influenced by a variety of factors including region, age, level of education, employment status, health condition, marital status, number of children as well as exposure to physical, economic, and verbal abuse. In addition, it was determined that the level of education, employment status, drug use, infidelity and other variables related to the husband/partner of the women who participated in the survey affected the women’s exposure to sexual violence. Conclusion There remains a higher probability of exposure to sexual violence among women residing in rural and less developed regions. A decrease in the women’s level of education increased their probability of exposure to sexual violence. An increase in the women's age and an increase in the level of education of the women’s husbands/partners lowered the probability of their exposure to sexual violence. There was a higher probability of exposure to sexual violence among women who had experienced physical, economic, and verbal abuse.

Development and Psychometric Assessment of a Questionnaire for the Detection of Invisible Violence against Women

“…According to these results, participants whose partners declared to have a high income were subjected to invisible violent behaviors more often. Although these results differ from those of previous studies [ 80 , 81 ], our findings are in line with the resource theory of power and its relationship with the theory of patriarchal norms [ 56 ]: if men earn more money, they will have more power within the relationship. Nevertheless, it is important to highlight that although the socioeconomic level of women and their partners is a key factor to take into account when designing interventions for the prevention and detection of IPV, some authors urge us to also focus on other cultural aspects, gender attitudes, and inequalities [ 82 , 83 ], which define the norms and values that govern interpersonal relationships [ 61 , 84 , 85 ].…”

Violence and sexual and reproductive health service disruption among girls and young women during COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal: A cross-sectional study using interactive voice response survey

“…This is consistent with the findings from the NDHS 2016 which found that sexual violence increased with age among women [ 6 ]. However there are studies from countries like Turkey and US, from before the pandemic, that contradicts these findings and find an opposite trend of association [ 42 , 43 ]. These studies found that the prevalence of violence decreased with age.…”

Violence and sociodemographic related factors among a sample of Egyptian women during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Several studies highlighted previous violence exposure as a risk factor for exposure to violence. Alkan and Tekmanlı 2021 reported that women who had suffered physical, economic, or verbal abuse had an increased likelihood of being exposed to sexual violence. According to Fisher 2004 , childhood victimization increased women's chances of being victimized in high school and put women at risk for different types of dating violence.…”