Field study on the female victims of violence who applied to the violence prevention center in Istanbul and their abusers
Abstract
The concept of violence is as old as lıuman lıistory. According to archaeological rcscarclıe,
the lıistory of violence against women goes back 3000 years. Ancient Roman tablets
slıow tlıat men had tlıe riglıt to punish, divorce, or kili wives who committed adultery.
Primary sources during tlıeMiddle Ages also indicate that there were no limitations
against violence to women. Legislative regulations to protect women from violence
started in 1800s with the first law which considered violence against women a erime. it
passed in 1883 in the state of Maryland (Dişsiz ve Hotun, 2008:52).
Even tlıough the first regulation to prevent violence against women was enacted in the
U.S.A, "beating up wives" was stili legally accepted behaviour. Resorting to violence as a
means of controlling and repressing women's behavior was a commonly approved
behavior. in the beginning of the 20th century many countries considered it to be a
man's right to be,ıt a wnm:rn. Unfortunately. this same misuse of power is sti:: valid in
many developing countries (Hatunoğlu, Hatunoğlu ve Avcı, 2014: 442).
Non-governrnental organizations and feminist organizations are leading the fight against
violence towards women in the U.S.A., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil and Zimbabwe. lnterestingly, most of the organizations fighting for wonıen rights have been
founded by men. This leads to tlw dichotomy of seeing both the "abusers'" and "rescuers'"
of women as menıbers of the opposite sex (Hatunoğlıı, Hatunoğlu ve Avcı, 2014: 442). 2. Method
2.1. Research Objective
The aiın of tlıis researclı is to reveal tlıe social and deınographic characteristics of the
feınale victims of violencewlıııse applications to ŞÖNİM (Violence Prevention and
Monitoring Center) were grantE·d by various means, along with the saıne clıaracteristics
for the perpetrators of the violence. (BİMER, 183, police, denunciation). in addition, tlıis
researclı aimsto deterınine t:1e types of violence inflicted on the wonıen wlıo
receivedservice froın ŞÖNİM.
"Filling tlıe knowledge deficiency", particularly, plays a direct preventative role in
taking precautions and establislıing policies regarding tlıis problem. For tlıis reason, the
research is aiıned to contribute to the alleviation of the knowledge deficiency. in
addition, another reason to di:;cuss tlıe abuse of women is the inarguable value ancl
irrevocable iınportance of "wonıen as indivicluals" in the eyes of the society.
2.2. Sample
The population of tlıe study is coınprised of tlıe woınen wlıo deınaııded service from
ŞÖNİM wlıich is witlıin the Ministry of Faıııily and Social Policy. However. because of the
restrictions of tlıe resources and tlıe difficulty of reachiııg the population, the survey is
conducted through the selectec. saıııple. The saınple coıısists of all of the woınen who
consulted lstanbul KOZA Violence Prevention and Monitoring Center in 2014 (KOZA
functions under tlıe Ministry of Faınily and Social Policy in wlıiclı ali the women's
shelter in lstanbul belong to pulılic and loca! authority reside.)