IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. Gender Differences in Students' Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women Gülşen ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU*, Şahika ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA** Abstract Aim: This study was conducted as a descriptive study with the aim of determining the views and attitudes of university students about domestic violence against women. Method: The research was carried out between May and June 2018. The population of the research consisted of students studying at faculties and colleges within a university, and the sample consisted of 2453 students who agreed to participate in the study. The first part of the questionnaire, which was prepared by the researchers as a result of the literature review, consists of questions containing information about the introductory characteristics of the students; The second part consists of 34 questions about attitudes towards violence against women. Chi-square test was applied to examine the relationship between the variables. Results: Considering the results obtained from the findings, it was determined that there was a significant difference between the attitudes of female and male students towards economic, sexual, verbal, and physical violence against women (p<0,05). While women exhibited a more egalitarian attitude towards gender equality, male students displayed a traditional attitude. It was stated by 77,9% of the students that they did not experience violence from their families and 79,5% of them stated that they did not witness violence between their families. Conclusion: Knowing the attitudes of university students towards violence against women can contribute to the development of violence against women policies. Keywords: Gender, sexual violence, violence against women. Özgün Araştırma Makalesi (Original Research Article) Geliş / Received: 05.10.2021 & Kabul / Accepted: 16.12.2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.38079/igusabder.1005187 * PhD, RN Assist. Prof., Faculty of Health Science, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Türkiye. E-mail: gulsenulas37@hotmail.com ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3792-4579 ** PhD, RN Assist. Prof., Faculty of Health Science, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Türkiye. E-mail: scetinkaya@kastamonu.edu.tr ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4518-5286 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ETHICAL STATEMENT: Ethical approval was granted by the University's Ethics Committee (Decision no: 21.03.2017 2017/5), and written permission was obtained from the deans of faculties to conduct the research. Informed consent was obtained from the students who agreed to participate in the research. 858 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. Öğrencilerin Kadına Şiddete Karşı Tutumlarında Cinsiyet Farklılıkları Öz Amaç: Bu çalışma, üniversite öğrencilerinin kadına yönelik aile içi şiddet ile ilgili görüş ve tutumlarının belirlenmesi amacı ile tanımlayıcı olarak yapılmıştır. Yöntem: Araştırma, Mayıs-Haziran 2018 tarihleri arasında gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın evrenini, bir üniversitenin bünyesinde bulunan Fakülte ve Yüksekokullarda öğrenim gören öğrenciler, örneklemini ise çalışmaya katılmayı kabul eden 2453 öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Araştırmacılar tarafından literatür değerlendirmesi sonucu hazırlanan anket formunun birinci bölümü, öğrencilerin tanıtıcı özelliklerine ilişkin bilgileri içeren sorulardan; ikinci bölümü ise Kanbay ve arkadaşları (2012) tarafından hazırlanmış olan kadına yönelik şiddet ile ilgili tutumları içeren 34 sorudan oluşmuştur. Araştırmada elde edilen veriler SPSS 22.0 programı kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Değişkenler arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi için ki - kare testi uygulanmıştır. Bulgular: Bulgulardan elde edilen sonuçlara bakıldığında kadın ve erkek öğrencilerin kadına ekonomik, cinsel, sözlü ve fiziksel şiddete yönelik tutumları arasında anlamlı bir farklılık olduğu belirlenmiştir (p<0,05). Kadınlar cinsiyet eşitliğine karşı daha eşitlikçi bir tutum sergilerken, erkek öğrenciler geleneksel bir tutum sergilemiştir. Öğrencilerin %77,9’u ailelerinden şiddet görmediklerini ve %79,5’i aileleri arasında şiddete tanık olmadıklarını ifade etmişlerdir. Sonuç: Üniversite öğrencilerinin kadına yönelik şiddete yönelik tutumlarının bilinmesi kadına yönelik şiddet politikalarının geliştirilmesine katkı sağlayabilir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Cinsiyet, cinsel şiddet, kadına yönelik şiddet. Introduction Violence is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community that either result in or have a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation” 1. Violence is a serious global health problem and human rights violation that negatively affects women's lives all over the world. Globally, prevalence estimates for lifetime experiences of physical or sexual partner violence among women range from 15%–71%2. In Turkey research results reveal that 35,5% of women are exposed to physical violence from their husbands at some time in their lives, while 12% are exposed to sexual violence and 43,9% to emotional violence3. There are many factors that affect violence against women. These factors are; socioeconomic status, cultural beliefs and values4, race and ethnicity, gender and gender norms5, occupation, education level and attitudes and beliefs towards violence6. The patriarchal social structure in Turkey leads to differences in gender roles between men and women. And as per these roles; women are expected to be passive, quiet, accept 859 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. the wishes of their family members or spouse without questioning and men are expected to exhibit a more brash and aggressive attitude7. Gender roles create significant, differences and inequalities between men and women. Male practice of physical or psychological violence in conflict situations is also normalized, presenting it as a fundamental requirement of being a man, and thereby justifying violence8. Individual attitudes towards domestic violence play an important role in sustaining violence and in individual and social responses to violence. For this reason, creating individual attitude change in preventing domestic violence against women is one of the main objectives of the education system9. Undergraduate courses at university are an ideal opportunity to initiate a change in attitudes about domestic violence and equip graduates with a comprehensive understanding of domestic violence10. However, the issues of family violence, legal rights of women, and the results of intervention strategies are not comprehensively addressed in the undergraduate curriculum11. The determination of young adults’ attitudes towards violence who are studying at the university is important in preventing violent behaviors in adulthood, because the conflicts and reactions that occur in relationships that emerge in this period can contribute to the transgenerational transformation of violence against women12. For this reason, this study was carried out to determine the attitudes of female and male students studying at university towards domestic violence against women. Research questions were as follows: 1. Do differences exist in attitudes towards types of violence between female and male students? 2. What are the students' experiences of domestic violence? 3. Is there any difference between the gender attitudes of female and male students toward domestic violence? Material and Methods Design and Participants This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The population of the research consists of students (N=11.082) studying at a university. The minimum sample size of the study was determined according to the formula of the frequency of the event in cases with a known population. The frequency of the examined event was accepted as 0,5 in accordance with the related literature. The minimum sample size was 371 students for a deviation of 0,05 and a confidence interval of 95% (α = 0,05). The stratified sampling method was used for sample selection. Students were stratified into ten strata based on their department. The number of students randomly selected from each stratum was based on the number of students included in the strata. Voluntary participation in the study was provided by 2.453 participants. 860 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. Instruments A questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire consisted of two sections. In the first section, there were 12 close-ended questions to determine the sociodemographic characteristics of the students such as sex, age, grade, family income, family type, education and employment status of parents, residential area, and region of residence. In the second section, there were questions to determine attitudes towards domestic violence types developed by Kanbay, et al.13. Questions were Likert-type and comprised a total of 34 questions. All statements included I agree, no idea and I don’t agree. Procedure The study was carried out during May-June 2018. After the first meeting with the faculty dean, decisions were made about when the data could be collected. The appointments for faculties were scheduled after meetings with the faculty dean. Students were given information about the purpose of the study with the permission of the lecturer of the course on the day planned for data collection. After obtaining written consent from willing students, the questionnaire was applied by the researchers. A total of 2453 students were willing to participate in the study and no incentive was given to the participants. Completion of the questionnaire form lasted 15 to 20 min. Ethical Consideration Ethical approval was granted by the Kastamonu University's Ethics Committee (Decision no: 21.03.2017 2017/5), and written permission was obtained from the deans of faculties to conduct the research. Informed consent was obtained from the students who agreed to participate in the research. Data Analysis The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 statistical software program. Numbers, percentages, means, and standard deviations were used to assess descriptive statistics. The data gathered from the groups were compared with the chi-square test. Significance level was taken as ,05. Results Of the students participating in the study 55,3% were female; 60,8% were between 21-24 years old, fathers of 26,8% were high school graduates, mothers of 42,7% were primary school graduates; 32,5% had three siblings, and 70,2% lived with core family. The families of 52,8% had low income and 31,5% lived in the Black Sea Region (Table 1). 861 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. Table 1. Descriptive characteristics of the students (n=2453) Characteristics n % Sex Female 1357 55,3 Male 1096 44,7 Age 20 and under 817 33,3 21-24 1492 60,8 25-28 111 4,5 29 and over 33 1,4 Father’s education Literate 129 5,3 Primary school 790 32,2 Middle School 485 19,8 High school 658 26,8 University 391 15,9 Mother’s education Literate 465 19,0 Primary school 1047 42,7 Middle School 472 19,2 High school 332 13,5 University 137 5,6 Family type Core family 640 26,1 Extended family 1722 70,2 Broken family 91 3,7 862 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. Income status Low 1295 52,8 Moderate 975 39,7 High 183 7,5 Number of siblings 1 118 4,8 2 777 31,7 3 796 32,5 4 417 17,0 5 and over 345 14,0 Region of Residence Black Sea 772 31,5 Mediterranean 219 8,9 Central Anatolia 587 23,9 Eastern Anatolia 127 5,2 Aegean 190 7,8 Marmara 401 16,3 Southeastern Anatolia 157 6,4 There was a significant difference between students' attitudes towards economic violence and sex. Only 8,5% of female students and 23,6% of male students stated that they agreed with the view that “Women do not need to work and earn Money”. It was found that 6,7% of female students and over half of male students (61,6%) stated that they agreed with the statement “A man’s main task in the house is breadwinning”. Of female students 16,3% and half of the male students (49,7%) stated that they agree with the statement “If the man does not want it, the woman should not work”. Moreover, more than half of the female students (54,4%) and 32,6% of male students stated that they agreed that “The woman should be able to spend her money as she wishes”. It was determined that only 8,9% of female students and 24,6% of male students agreed with the statement “It is not right for the woman to earn more money than her husband” (Table 2). 863 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. Table 2. Students' attitudes towards economic violence (n=2453) Female Male Attitudes Towards Economic Violence p n % n % Disagree 1181 87,0 736 67,2 X2=142,109 Women don't have to work and earn money No idea 60 4,4 101 9,2 p=0,000 I agree 116 8,5 259 23,6 Disagree 774 57,0 368 33,6 A man’s main task in the house is X2=152,424 No idea 85 6,3 53 4,8 breadwinning p=0,000 I agree 498 36,7 675 61,6 Disagree 1028 75,8 459 41,9 X2=332,041 If the man does not want it, the woman should not work No idea 108 8,0 92 8,4 p=0,000 I agree 221 16,3 545 49,7 Disagree 519 38,2 667 60,9 The woman should be able to spend her money as she X2=129,287 No idea 100 7,4 72 6,6 wishes p=0,000 I agree 738 54,4 357 32,6 Disagree 1137 83,8 723 66,0 It is not right for the woman to earn more money than her X2=122,625 No idea 99 7,3 103 9,4 husband p=0,000 I agree 121 8,9 270 24,6 There was a significant difference between students' attitudes towards sexual violence and sex. Of female students14,5% and 34,1% of male students agreed with the statement that “Wearing sexy clothing is a reason for women to be harassed”. It was found that 6,9% of female students and 25,4% of male students agreed that “Even if the woman does not want to have intercourse with her husband, it is her duty”. Of female students 7,7% and 21,7% of male students agreed with the statement “It is normal to be abused if a woman is outside late”. It was determined that few female students (2,9%) and 16,3% of male students stated that they agreed that “It is the woman's fault if they are sexually assaulted’ (Table 3). 864 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. Table 3. Students' attitudes towards sexual violence (n=2453) Female Male Attitudes towards Sexual Violence p n % n % Disagree 1046 77,1 628 57,3 Wearing sexy clothing is a reason for a woman to be X2=134,922 No idea 114 8,4 94 8,6 harassed. p=0,000 I agree 197 14,5 374 34,1 Disagree 1143 84,2 649 59,2 Even if the woman does not want to have intercourse with X2=210,994 No idea 121 8,9 169 15,4 her husband, it is her duty p=0,000 I agree 93 6,9 278 25,4 Disagree 1170 86,2 750 68,4 X2=120,599 It is normal to be abused if a woman is outside late. No idea 82 6,0 108 9,9 p=0,000 I agree 105 7,7 238 21,7 Disagree 1214 89,5 798 72,8 X2=149,309 It is the woman's fault if they are sexually assaulted. No idea 103 7,6 119 10,9 p=0,000 I agree 40 2,9 179 16,3 A significant difference was found between students' attitudes towards verbal and physical violence and sex. In this study it was found that very few (3,7%) of the female students and 16,8% of the male students stated that they agreed with the statement “If a woman does not listen to advice, beating her can solve the problem”. A small number of female students (3,9%) and 20,1% of male students agreed that “In some cases, it would be okay to slap a woman”. It was found that very few female students (1,9%) and 13,0% of male students stated that they agreed with the statement “It is excusable that an alcoholic man beats his wife”. A small number of female students (5,4%) and 15,1% of male students agree with the statement that “Girls should definitely marry whoever their parents want” (Table 4). 865 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. Table 4. Students' attitudes towards verbal and physical violence (n=2453) Female Male Attitudes towards Verbal and Physical p Violence n % n % Disagree 1255 92,5 851 77,6 If a woman does not listen to advice. X2=128,638 No idea 52 3,8 61 5,6 beating her can solve the problem p=0,000 I agree 50 3,7 184 16,8 Disagree 1102 81,2 635 57,9 If there is a problem with marriage. X2=180,071 No idea 130 9,6 151 13,8 having a child can solve the problem p=0,000 I agree 125 9,2 310 28,3 Disagree 1262 93,0 781 71,3 In some cases, it would be okay to slap X2=210,520 No idea 42 3,1 95 8,7 a woman p=0,000 I agree 53 3,9 220 20,1 Disagree 1199 88,4 749 68,3 Violence is normal due to anger at the X2=170,338 No idea 75 5,5 87 7,9 time of the discussion p=0,000 I agree 83 6,1 260 23,7 Disagree 1282 94,5 894 81,6 It is excusable that an alcoholic man X2=124,023 No idea 49 3,6 60 5,5 beats his wife p=0,000 I agree 26 1,9 142 13,0 Disagree 1199 88,4 657 59,9 If the woman does not listen to advice, X2=295,573 No idea 73 5,4 91 8,3 she must be forced to under pressure p=0,000 I agree 85 6,3 348 31,8 Disagree 1241 91,5 854 77,9 Girls should marry whoever their X2=90,078 No idea 43 3,2 76 6,9 parents want p=0,000 I agree 73 5,4 166 15,1 Women and men should not discuss Disagree 1080 79,6 683 62,3 866 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. No idea 98 7,2 88 8,0 X2=105,655 p=0,000 I agree 179 13,2 325 29,7 Disagree 464 34,2 254 23,2 Small discussions are a part of X2=47,159 No idea 149 11,0 93 8,5 marriage. p=0,000 I agree 744 54,8 749 68,3 Disagree 1139 83,9 604 55,1 In some cases, it is normal to shout at X2=258,630 No idea 71 5,2 93 8,5 a woman. p=0,000 I agree 147 10,8 399 36,4 There was a significant correlation found between students’ attitudes to social gender equality and gender. Almost all female students (98,1%) and 94,5% of male students stated that they agreed that “the existence of violence against women is a situation that bothers me”. It was found that the majority of female students (95,3%) and 87,1% of male students agreed with the statement “Domestic violence is an important public health problem”. A small number of female students (15,8%) and nearly half of male students (48,1%) agreed with the statement “spare the rod and spoil the child is a very realistic proverb”. A few female students 3,7% and 23,2% of male students agreed with the statement that “It is normal for me that a man might love or beat his wife”. It was found that 39,1% of female students and the majority of male students (70,9%) agreed with the statement “The woman should get permission from her husband when she goes somewhere”. A small number of female students (5,4%) and 22,8% of male students agreed with the statement “Men do not have to do housework” (Table 5). Table 5. Students' attitudes towards gender equality (n=2453) Female Male Attitudes towards Gender Equality p n % n % Disagree 19 1,4 43 3,9 The existence of violence against women is a situation 2 that bothers me X =22,710 No idea 7 0,5 17 1,6 p=0,000 I agree 1331 98,1 1036 94,5 Domestic violence is an important public health problem Disagree 51 3,8 115 10,5 867 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. No idea 13 1,0 26 2,4 X2=52,654 p=0,000 I agree 1293 95,3 955 87,1 Disagree 1012 74,6 449 41,0 Spare the rod and spoil the child is a very realistic X2=324,447 No idea 130 9,6 120 10,9 proverb p=0,000 I agree 215 15,8 527 48,1 Disagree 1069 78,8 539 49,2 In some cases, violence can be a solution. X2=276,727 No idea 123 9,1 115 10,5 p=0,000 I agree 165 12,2 442 40,3 Disagree 1178 86,8 748 68,2 A woman who is exposed to violence should not share X2=125,432 No idea 50 3,7 117 10,7 this situation with others p=0,000 I agree 129 9,5 231 21,1 Disagree 1214 89,5 699 63,8 There may be valid reasons for men to use violence X2=242,999 No idea 54 4,0 89 8,1 against women p=0,000 I agree 89 6,6 308 28,1 Disagree 1161 85,6 536 48,9 X2=423,848 The woman must be under the control of the man No idea 82 6,0 91 8,3 p=0,000 I agree 114 8,4 469 42,8 Disagree 1286 94,8 765 69,8 X2=276,601 It is normal for me that a man might love or beat his wife No idea 21 1,5 77 7,0 p=0,000 I agree 50 3,7 254 23,2 Disagree 898 66,2 426 38,9 I do not disapprove of the idea that women can work at X2=186,443 No idea 90 6,6 99 9,0 all types of businesses p=0,000 I agree 369 27,2 571 52,1 Disagree 900 66,3 415 37,9 X2=217,062 The woman must come home before her husband p=0,000 No idea 124 9,1 110 10,0 868 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. I agree 333 24,5 571 52,1 Disagree 1040 76,6 725 66,1 X2=34,010 Men should be educated more than women No idea 76 5,6 101 9,2 p=0,000 I agree 241 17,8 270 24,6 Disagree 731 53,9 267 24,4 The woman should get permission from her husband X2=249,627 No idea 95 7,0 52 4,7 when she goes somewhere p=0,000 I agree 531 39,1 777 70,9 Disagree 402 29,6 426 38,9 X2=24,814 I believe in equality between women and men No idea 61 4,5 54 4,9 p=0,000 I agree 894 65,9 616 56,2 Disagree 692 51,0 289 26,4 X2=156,689 Childcare is the primary task of women rather than men No idea 79 5,8 72 6,6 p=0,000 I agree 586 43,2 735 67,1 Disagree 1254 92,4 768 70,1 X2=209,744 Men do not need to do housework No idea 30 2,2 78 7,1 p=0,000 I agree 73 5,4 250 22,8 It was determined that the majority of the students (85% of women and 85,5% of men) participating in the study did not participate in a training program about violence against women. While 83,6% of female students stated that they were not exposed to violence from their parents, the rate for male students was 70,8%. Most of the students (81,4% of females and 77,1% of males) stated that they did not witness violence among their parents (Graphic 1). 869 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. Graphic 1. Students' answers about women and violence by gender Question 1: Have you previously participated in a training program about violence against women? Question 2: If you had a choice, would you want to be of the opposite sex? Question 3: If you had a choice, would you want your children to be female? Question 4: Have you ever used violence against someone for any reason? Question 5: Have you ever experienced violence from your parents during your life? Question 6: Have you witnessed violence between parents during your life? Discussion Violence against women is a serious abuse of human rights and an important public health problem in Turkey, as it is around the world14. The prevalence of domestic violence varies markedly between and within countries, with higher rates tending to occur in developing countries15. Given high prevalence rates, there is a need to understand attitudes that affect increased risk of violence in university students. This paper fills an important research gap by identifying attitudes of male and female students that affect domestic violence. Economic violence is defined as the use of economic resources and money as sanctions and threats16. Attitudes, beliefs and practices that lead to economic violence are often deeply entrenched and closely 870 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. related to cultural, social, and religious norms of a society17. In this study, it was determined that female students were more egalitarian than male students according to attitudes about economic violence (p<,05). In light of these findings, it can be said that cultural factors and cultural acceptance of men’s superiority and dominance over women play an important role in the patriarchal social structure in Turkey and encourage the men to gain control, power, and domination over women. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sexual violence as “any sexual act or an attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments, or advances, acts to traffic or otherwise directed, against a person's sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim in any setting, including but not limited to home and work” 1. Sexual violence is a negative and traumatic life event with widespread psychological and sociological effects on the victim irrespective of gender18. In this study, findings indicated statistically significant differences between female and male students in terms of attitudes to sexual violence (p≤0,05). About one in four male students had a negative attitude towards sexual violence. In a study conducted by Nayak et al., they reported that male students from four different countries (India, Japan, Kuwait, United States) have least positive attitudes about sexual violence, similar to our study19. Violence against women is often a result of unequal power equations, both real and perceived, between men and women and is also strongly influenced by cultural factors and values20. In our study male students were more likely than female students to agree with attitudes supportive of physical and physiological violence against women (p<0,05). In a study conducted in South Asia, it was determined that male students who have traditional gender role attitudes support violence against women21. Previous research indicates that traditional gender role attitudes were associated with an increased risk of violence among male students than female students, similar to our study22. Education and training are vital to change students' attitudes toward violence. In Turkey, domestic violence subject is not found in the curriculum of faculties. Students are often unable to access this training. In this study, it was determined that most of the students (F:85%, M:85,5%) did not receive any domestic violence education (Graphic 1). In previous studies with students, it was also emphasized that domestic violence training is inadequate and should be improved in universities23-26. This findings show parallelism with the results across the world. According to the findings 45,6 percent of male students and 14,5 percent of female students have committed violence for any reason. A previous study conducted by Baker and Stith stated that 31,8% of male students and 41,4% of female students committed violence toward their partners at least once in the past year27. While most students stated that they were not exposed to violence from their parents (F:83,6%, M:70,8%), most of the students (F:81,4%; M:77,1%) stated that they did not witness violence among parents (Graphic 1). Sears, et al. stated that in the USA, 43% of teenage 871 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. boys and 51% of teenage girls between 12 and 18 years have physically, psychologically, or sexually abused their partners28. Violence is one way to create and enforce gender hierarchy and punish transgressions, to resolve relationship conflicts, and to seek resolution of the crisis in masculinity by providing a sense of power29. Data from the present study show that although the majority of male students have an egalitarian gender attitude, about a quarter have a traditional attitude. Female students reported much more positive gender attitude differences between female and male students in terms of attitudes to gender roles (p<0,05). This result can be explained due to students' perspectives about attitudes to gender differing from region to region and being somewhat dependent on the culture of the family they live with. Also, students may not have the ability to filter cultural factors that affect gender attitudes. Higher education, according to studies, strengthens liberal standards and reduces acceptance of violence as a means of settling disagreements30. University is an important impact on awareness of violence. Education, can reduce ignorance, develop moral ideals, and improve character. Education is also a tool that strengthens brains and improves a person's sense of what is right and wrong, enabling females to reject abuse31. Individuals' acceptance of intimate partner violence can be used to evaluate a society's progress toward gender equality by measuring its social, cultural, and behavioral transformation32. Therefore, the responses of the students on this subject are important. The strengths of the study are the large sample size selected with the random sampling method. Conclusion In this study, attitudes toward domestic violence were different between female and male students. It was determined that gender attitudes were also different between male and female students. Male students have traditional attitudes, while female students have more equitable attitudes. It was detected that most of the students did not receive any training about violence. One of the remarkable results was that about half of male students had acted violently toward someone at some point in their lives. Most of the students were not exposed to violence in their families and did not witness violence among their families. In line with these results, in order to increase the awareness and consciousness level of university students, issues such as violence against women and gender should be added to the curriculum content, events such as conferences and seminars should be organized on these issues and these activities should be repeated at certain periods. In addition, due to the limited number of studies on the subject in our country, studies with different sample groups and different variables will contribute to the literature. 872 G. ULAŞ KARAAHMETOĞLU, Ş. ŞİMŞEK ÇETİNKAYA IGUSABDER, 18 (2022): 858-876. Declaration of Conflicting İnterests 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) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Limitations of the Study Since the research was conducted with university students studying at a university, the results obtained can only be generalized for these students. Another limitation of this study is it did not investigate the psychological, social, or cultural aspects (ethnicity, beliefs, and norms, for example) of students. So, violence can be changed with these parameters. Although the number of female and male students is close to each other, the lower number of male students is another limitation of our study, as it may affect the results. REFERENCES 1. 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