Toward an Integrative Theoretical Framework for Explaining Beliefs About Wife Beating: A Study Among Students of Nursing From Turkey

Abstract

An integrative theoretical framework was tested as the basis for explaining beliefs about wife beating among Turkish nursing students. Based on a survey design, 406 nursing students (404 females) in all 4 years of undergraduate studies completed a self-administered questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed and collected from the participants during their attendance of core courses. The results revealed that between 8% and 27% of the students expressed some level of willingness to justify wife beating, between 8% and 11% showed a tendency to believe that battered women benefit from beating, and between 10% and about 29% indicated that battered women are responsible for their beating. However, more than 88% of the students expressed willingness to help battered women, more than 63% of them indicated that violent husbands are responsible for their behavior, and about 28% or more showed a tendency to support punishing violent husbands. The results also indicated that significant amounts of the variance in the students’ beliefs about wife beating can be attributed to their patriarchal ideology, to their exposure to family violence during childhood and adolescence, and to their traumatic symptoms. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the results for future research on the topic. Emphasis is placed on developing a more integrative theoretical approach for explaining beliefs about wife beating, and on the professional socialization of nursing students.