Tendency towards violence and social roles: a descriptive study among high school students in Turkey

Background: Violence affects more than half of women worldwide and the perception of social roles has a significant role in this. Adolescence is a sensitive developmental period in the life of an individual. It is therefore important to understand the perception of violence and change the acceptance of violence among adolescents. Aims: To address the experiences that adolescents had with violence and its relationship with attitudes towards women. Methods: This descriptive study, comprising 2321 high school students, was conducted in Izmir, Turkey, between May and August 2015. We used a questionnaire to collect data on sociodemographic information and the perceptions that adolescents have of violence. The Violence Tendency and Attitudes Towards Women Scales were applied to show the perceptions of adolescents of social roles. Results: One third of the adolescents reported that they were exposed to some kind of violence. More than half had witnessed violence against their family members, relatives, or close friends. Conservative and traditional attitudes towards women were associated with a higher tendency towards violence among adolescents. Conclusions: To end violence against women, public health actions should focus on the young population and their representation of social roles.