Women’s Views About Domestic Violence: A Qualitative Study in Iran

Abstract

Violence against women is an urgent health priority in Iran. Designing effective programs for preventing and controlling the problem necessitates a thorough understanding of Iranian women and their perspectives regarding domestic violence. This study was aimed at exploring the domestic violence–related views of married women who were referred to health care facilities in Ahvaz, Iran. In this qualitative research, data were collected through four focus group discussions with 30 married women. All the discussions were recorded and transcribed, after which the data were classified separately. The main themes and subthemes were then manually derived from the data and analyzed. The five main themes identified were domestic violence against women in Ahvaz, behavioral influencing factors, nonbehavioral influencing factors, the necessity to empower women to prevent domestic violence, and recommendations for developing special training programs for Ahvazi women. Most of the participants were aware that domestic violence against women is a common occurrence in Iran. They were well aware of the definition of violence and expressed a belief that behavioral factors exert an important effect on the occurrence of the problem. They recommended the development of appropriate training programs that empower women to prevent the problem, the use of mass media to educate citizens about domestic violence, and the involvement of opinion leaders in eliminating the taboo against considering such violence a crime against Iranian women. Considering the views and ideas of women as consumers of educational services is a principle used to develop effective programs for preventing and controlling domestic violence. As indicated by the findings, the participants believe that empowering women must be treated as a priority in the Iranian health care system. However, they recommended differing approaches and methods of empowerment on the basis of their individual views and concerns.

Keywords

domestic violence women qualitative study

Introduction

The family is the first social institution in which personality is shaped and thereby determines the acceptance of values and social norms and their transfer to other social institutions (Strimaitienë & Kvieskaitë, 2009). Despite the important role of this institution in ensuring the safety of individuals, however, it can also be a source of a commonly occurring problem, namely, domestic violence. Domestic violence is not limited to a specific age range, geographic location, gender, race, and culture. Women, children, and the elderly are three main groups who suffer from domestic violence, which can take the form of physical, psychological, sexual, and economic abuse (Golmakani & Azmoudeh, 2013). Domestic violence against women frequently occurs in households and mostly among people who are related by intimacy, blood, or legal relationship (Soleiman Ekhtiari & Ahmadi, 2011). It often happens between close family members, particularly between husbands and wives, but its features vary in different societies (Etesamipour, 2012).

Domestic violence against women causes many short- and long-term consequences. It may affect women’s health, causing those physical injuries, psychosomatic illnesses, emotional disturbance, and even death (Aghakhani, Eftekhari, Zare Kheirabad, & Mousavi, 2012). Around 16% to 52% of women are subjected to violence from their partners; 28% of women in developed countries and 18% to 67% of those in developing countries have reported at least one incidence of physical assault (Ahmadi et al., 2008). In 66% of Iranian families, women have experienced violence at least once from the beginning of their marriage (Ahmadi et al., 2008). The incidence rate of domestic violence against women in different Iranian cities ranges from 17.5% to 93.6%, making such act a major factor in physical and psychological damage to women (DeJong, Jawad, Mortagy, & Shepard, 2005). Some studies showed that 43.7% of women in Iran have been exposed to domestic violence at least once and experience it throughout the course of their married lives (Davoudi, Rasoulian, Ahmadzad Asl, & Nojomi, 2013). Some researchers in Iran found that the most prevalent type of domestic violence is emotional violence, followed by physical and sexual violence (81.8%, 8.41%, and 4.40%, respectively; Dolatian, Shams, Alavi Majd, & Moafi, 2012). Another study indicated that domestic violence against Iranian women prevails at a rate of 86% and that violence is significantly related to number of children, women’s educational level, spousal income, marital satisfaction, job stress, personality traits of spouses, and life stress (Hemati, 2005).

Many strategies for preventing and controlling violence against women have been recommended. Some of the strategies implemented by health care facilities in Iran are diagnosing cases of domestic violence and reporting incidences to authorities (Ghazanfari, 2010). Attending to the problems experienced by women and their partners, helping them solve these problems, and enacting laws to reduce alcohol consumption among men can reduce the occurrence of domestic violence (Aghakhani et al., 2012). The other prevention and control strategies implemented in the Iranian context are the provision of counseling services designed to improve communication between couples, the empowerment of women to prevent violence, and the referral of abused women to counseling centers (Ahmadi et al., 2008).

In recent years, many programs have been implemented to prevent domestic violence against women in Iran. The problem is that an inadequate understanding of Iranian women and their points of view diminishes the effectiveness and efficiency of the programs in reforming individual and social behaviors. The first step in designing effective interventions is to form a thorough understanding of the beneficiaries of such programs. With these considerations, this study was conducted to identify and explore Iranian women’s views about domestic violence. The results are expected to facilitate the design of a consumer-oriented educational program on domestic violence in Ahvaz, Iran.

Method

This qualitative study was conducted in 2014. We assumed that women from different regions espouse different views about domestic violence. Thus, we selected participants by purposeful random sampling on the basis of the health care facilities. The adequacy of the sample size was determined on the basis of the saturation of collected data. The participants were invited by women working in a provincial health center, after which they were randomly divided into four groups. Data were collected through four semistructured focus group discussions with 30 married women who were referred to health care facilities in Ahvaz, Iran. The discussions were conducted during 2-day meetings by recruited trained note-takers and coordinators. These individuals were familiar with the topic but did not belong to the research team. The corresponding (second) author was present in all the sessions.

At the beginning of each conversation, the study’s aim was explained to the participants, from whom consent was also derived to audio record the sessions. The researchers emphasized that the meeting is optional and that the participants could withdraw at any time during the sessions. Each session lasted for 2 hr. Before the initiation of the discussions, the participants were asked to fill out a demographic questionnaire to determine the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their relevance to the results. A semistructured questionnaire was used to guide the discussions. Specifically, the participants were asked the following questions:

What do you think about domestic violence against women in Ahvaz?

What is your definition of domestic violence?

What are the factors that influence domestic violence against women in Ahvaz?

What can researchers do to reduce domestic violence against women in Ahvaz?

Who are the most influential people to consider as agents in reducing domestic violence against women in Ahvaz?

These questions were used in some Iranian qualitative studies that explored women’s views about domestic violence and were approved by some experts active in the field. The conversations (audio files) were transcribed after each session, and the collected data were manually examined through content analyses at the sentence level. The transcriptions were carefully read several times to obtain a general comprehension of the transcripts and the respondents’ answers to the questions and to draw the main themes from the interviews. The identified themes were then compared to delineate the subthemes. Subsequently, the main themes and subthemes were carefully classified on the basis of similarities in meanings and categories.

Results

Theme 1: Domestic Violence Against Women in Ahvaz

A few of the participants disagreed that domestic violence occurs at a high rate in Ahvaz, with the women of Arab ethnicity expressing particularly strong disagreement. One such participant shared the following opinion: “In Ahvaz, domestic violence is not common. Improper judgment of the woman toward her husbands is resulted in this belief that the rate of violence is high.” However, the majority of the participants agreed about the chaotic nature of violence. As one participant indicated, “Ahvaz has a high rate of domestic violence against women. It is related to cultural characteristic, poverty, ethnicity, and climatic conditions.” Another participant shared this view: “Violence against women is common in Ahvaz. I’ve been beaten several times because of commenting and disagreeing with my husband’s opinion.” Most of the participants expressed a desire for initiatives that reduce violence against women in Ahvaz.

Theme 2: Perceptions Regarding Violence Against Women

Most of the participants were aware that violence is not restricted to physical abuse. One participant defined violence as “a behavior which an individual does in times of anger against the other person, which causes physical harms or mental difficulties to that person.” Most of them agreed that violence is not limited to physical beating. An Arab young woman explained,

violence against women is not only physical beatings, harassment, and clashes. Lack of freedom to choose their lifestyle and express themselves in their family, opposition to the right of education, right to work, and other rights must be considered as violence, too.

Theme 3: Factors That Influence the Occurrence of Domestic Violence Against Women

The participants mentioned many factors that contribute to violence. Some of these were tastes and opinions that differ with those of other family members, educational level of spouses, unemployment, nervousness and outdoor issues, stress, excessive expectations of some women, mental health problems, and families’ financial difficulties. Few of the women regarded climatic conditions as contributory to violence against women. The perspectives shared by the respondents were categorized into two groups:

Behavioral factors

The participants believe that many women may not have sufficient knowledge of what is considered violent behavior from their husbands and the skills necessary to prevent and control such acts. A woman stated that “they may not know that violence against women is not just beatings and encompasses various types of violence.” Another participant declared the following: “Many women, including us, are unaware of legal rights of women in society and may think that violence by husbands doesn’t need legal persecution, and government is oblivious towards this issue.”

Nonbehavioral factors

Most of the participants believe that they are economically dependent on their husbands and that they therefore do not have the power to deal with this issue. In explaining why women do not protest against violence from their partners, a married woman shared the following statement: “We don’t have any economic support in society. So, we have to accept violence from our husbands.” Another participant declared that the “lack of legal protection of women who are beaten is another reason that why women do not quit the violent situations.” Furthermore, “many women ignore the violence by their husbands because of financial needs and consider themselves condemned to be subjected by violence from their husbands.”

Theme 4: Recommended Interventions to Reduce Domestic Violence in Ahvaz

The recommendations provided by the participants were categorized as follows:

Raising women’s awareness of violence and the different ways by which it occurs

Most of the women stated that the government can empower women by informing them about domestic violence through the media, magazines, and training classes. Parents are the best people who can educate women about this matter. First-degree relatives (e.g., siblings), educated individuals, and close family members can also serve as sources of information. As shared by one of the participants, “I am 30 years old and have been married for 10 years, but no justification class or training course about violence has been held for married women.” Another woman indicated, “people who can contribute more to empower women include parents and teachers in training centers, which depends on what environment the individual lives in.”

Supervising the implementation of laws that prohibit violence against women

Most of the participants agreed that incidences of spousal violence can be considerably reduced with further supervision of legislation and regulations by family courts and the reporting of domestic violence against women who are referred to security centers. A participant considered the lack of awareness about existing laws that prohibit violence against women as a contributory factor to domestic violence: “It is better that legislations and regulations and the rule of prohibiting violence by a husband be displayed frequently in the national media.”

Income generation and improvement of women’s employment

With respect to the employment situation and financial problems of abused women, a participant commented, thus:

Women must have financial support and emotionally supported by their families. Iranian women, due to the influence of local customs and traditions and the influence of families and reputation maintenance, keeps silent in the face of violence. I am also forced to be silent in my married life for my family and children and financial situation.

Some of the other participants also emphasized the need for women to secure employment, resolve their financial problems, and empower themselves against violence.

Using mass media to show exemplars of virtuous behavior

Most of the women commented that the best approach to reducing domestic violence against women is for educational and media channels to provide training programs. Some of the respondents also indicated that brochures, training manuals, and methods to attract women can increase the capacity and efficiency of institutions to empower women against violence. One participant expressed this belief: “The best way we can make women resistant against violence against women is the use of counseling centers and psychotherapy.” Many of the participants stated that families and parents, through the upbringing that they provide their children, are primarily responsible for preventing violence against women. The majority of them regard parents as the best teachers of virtues or sources of empowerment, followed by educational institutions, such as universities and counseling centers. One of the participants included health care providers as agents who are best positioned to empower women against violence. Another respondent declared the following: “Opinion leaders and family members are the people who will be influential to prevent violence against women.”

Discussion

This study addressed women’s needs, wants, concerns, and views with respect to domestic violence. Such addressing is the first and essential step in designing effective programs for preventing and controlling violence against women. Similar to women in most other countries, Iranian women experience different types of violence, but domestic violence, especially from intimate partners, is very common. Gender inequality, as a general phenomenon in most parts of Iran, is a key factor in the occurrence of violence against women. Unfortunately, this problem is ignored because of the lack of organized programs for prevention and control. In other words, policy makers are unaware of the nature of this issue, its related factors, and the interventions needed to reduce violence incidence rates.

Edwards (2015) qualitatively studied domestic violence against urban and rural Chinese women through interviews with 63 female participants and concluded that the provision of consultancy services is a good way to reduce violence from partners. Daruwalla et al. (2014) investigated the incidence of domestic violence against women who were referred to legal medicine centers in India. The authors carried out interviews with 33 women who suffered burn injuries because of violence from their partners. Most of the respondents expressed the belief that counseling, referral to legal centers, and the prosecution of domestic violence cases can reduce this problem (Daruwalla et al., 2014). In our study, the participants also recommended the provision of counseling services as a principle organizational intervention.

Idemudia et al. looked into the violence experienced by Zimbabwean refugee women in South Africa. The African women participating in the group discussions reported some forms of violence from their partners, with complaints specifically indicating physical and emotional violence (Idemudia, Williams, & Wyatt, 2013). In this study, the respondents stated that adopting policies that address the challenges of immigration is a means of reducing violence against women. The participants in the current work were equally aware of the different types of violence against women; they lamented the physical and emotional violence that they experience and the insufficient policies for reducing the problem in Iran.

Al-Natour et al.’s study involved 80 Jordanian nurses and women who were referred to health care facilities. The researchers interviewed the respondents to compare the levels of violence suffered by married nurses and women and found no significant difference between the two groups. The participants expressed the need to empower themselves for domestic violence to be reduced (Al-Natour, Gillespie, Wang, & Felblinger, 2014). Similarly, the women in the present study recommended the implementation of “empowerment programs for women.”

Latifi et al. studied the parameters of empowerment in relation to coping with violence against women who are under the protection of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee in Gorgan, Iran. The target population comprised married women with at least one child, and the findings indicated the need for women to empower themselves against violence (Latifi, Taghdisi, Afkari, & Azam, 2013). Achieving this goal necessitates intervention that is geared toward improving the knowledge, attitudes, self-esteem, and self-efficacy of women (Latifi et al., 2013).

A qualitative study was conducted by Razaghi et al. on 24 women who were referred to a forensic medicine center because of physical violence. The researchers conducted individual interviews with the participating women and identified the consequences suffered by women exposed to violent treatment, including diminished health and disruptions to family relations. The authors argued for the empowerment of women to prevent and control domestic violence (Razaghi, Parvizy, Ramezani, & Tabatabai-Nejad, 2014). Their results are consistent with those derived in the present research.

In a study conducted by Ahmadi et al., focus group discussions were held with 50 couples (grouped into eight) from various parts of Tehran. The authors found that the essential initiatives for reducing violence against women in Iran are educating and informing couples and society about this problem; emphasizing the responsibilities of the health sector; empowering staff and doctors to help injured female victims; clarifying, correcting, and eliminating legal gaps; strengthening law enforcement; and constructing protective centers for battered women (Ahmadi et al., 2008). Although similar recommendations were obtained in the current study, the investigation was limited only to women’s views.

To delve into the issue of domestic violence, Kiani et al. used a qualitative and interpretive approach combined with a phenomenological method. The authors recruited 10 married employed women and conducted deep exploratory interviews for over 12 months. The results indicated that the first arguments between the couples and the first incidence of violent behaviors occurred during the engagement period (Kiani, 2014). In our study, this issue was not discussed with the sample. Future work can involve asking participants about the period at which violence first occurs and related factors. The findings derived from such exploration can serve as reference in the design of prevention and control programs for young couples.

Study Limitations

The core limitations of this study are the women’s unwillingness to divulge domestic violence issues and potential dishonesty in answering the questions. These tendencies were beyond the researchers’ control. In addition, as previously indicated, the investigation was limited to women’s perspectives. For an exploration of an entire society’s views, similar discussions with male respondents should be carried out.

Conclusion

Domestic violence against women is not a new phenomenon, but its consideration as a social problem is. This phenomenon has attracted the attention of researchers and experts three decades ago in Western countries and a few years ago in Iran. Currently in Iran, many issues and social problems are related to families. Among these issues are the problem presented by runaway girls, the increase in suicide incidence, the occurrence of self-immolation among women, and the increase in divorce and domestic violence. Domestic violence in the family exerts adverse effects not only on women but also on the entire family system and social structure. Preventing and solving this problem first necessitates radically changing women’s attitudes toward violence and improving their self-efficacy and individual capabilities. Women can be empowered by increasing their awareness of violence, creating employment opportunities for them, and providing legal protection for abused women. These initiatives can reduce violence against women and help women free themselves from violent situations.

Footnotes

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their appreciation to all the women who participated in the focus group discussions.

Ethical Considerations

Violence against women is a taboo subject in Iranian society. Thus, the participants were informed about the purpose of the research and were assured anonymity and confidentiality of the information received from them. All the respondents were asked to fill an informed consent form that contains a clear statement of the objectives of the study. They were also informed of their right to participate or refuse participation. The participant’s individual reverence for maintaining social status and personality were fully considered. The results of the research will be provided to concerned authorities and decision makers on request.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was approved and supported by the Research Council of Yasuj University of Medical Sciences in Yasuj, Iran.

Author Biographies

Mohsen Shams, MD, PhD in Health Education, is an associate professor in School of Public Health (SPH), and a member of the research council in Social Determinants of Health Research Center (SDHRC), Yasuj University of Medical Sciences (YUMS), Yasuj, Iran.

Leila Kianfard, MSc in Health Education and Promotion, graduated from SPH, YUMS. Currently, she is a PhD student of Health Education and Promotion in Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

Saadat Parhizkar, PhD in Reproductive Health, is an associate professor in SPH, and a member of the research council in SDHRC, YUMS, Yasuj, Iran.

Ali Mousavizadeh, MD, PhD in Epidemiology, is an assistant professor in SPH, and a member of the research council in SDHRC, YUMS, Yasuj, Iran.

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