Gender and Exposure to Childhood Violence are Important Determinants of Domestic Violence Among Academics

Abstract

Domestic violence is a common and significant social problem that threatens public health, violates human rights, and poses significant obstacles to national development. This study aimed to evaluate both male and female academics' knowledge and views on domestic violence, and determine its incidence and risk factors among academics. Participants comprised 304 academics working at universities, who were selected by cluster sampling from seven regions of Turkey. Data were analyzed using thematic coding, descriptive statistics, and multivariate logistic regression. Of the 304 participants, 56.9 % were female academics. The incidence of domestic violence among the academics was 21.4 %, with 25.4 % of female and 16.0 % of male academics reporting having experienced it. Academics who were victims of domestic violence were mostly exposed to it from their spouses. Academics also reported experiencing emotional violence. Female academics were 2.3 times more likely to experience domestic violence than men. Academics who were exposed to violence in childhood experienced 14.1 times more domestic violence than those who were not. Although it seems that a high status in society as an academic reduces the rates of exposure to domestic violence, gender, and witnessing or experiencing violence in early childhood are the most important risk factors for this population. The lack of a solution for domestic violence can be attributed to non-deterrent punishments.