Barriers to seeking help among abused Iranian women
| Pages | 261-273 |
| Date | 09 October 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-03-2017-0007 |
| Published date | 09 October 2017 |
| Author | Sakineh Taherkhani,Reza Negarandeh,Masoumeh Simbar,Fazlollah Ahmadi |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Adult protection,Safeguarding,Sociology,Sociology of the family,Abuse |
Barriers to seeking help among abused
Iranian women
Sakineh Taherkhani, Reza Negarandeh, Masoumeh Simbar and Fazlollah Ahmadi
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to identify barriers to seeking help among abused Iranian women.
Design/methodology/approach –This qualitative research was carried out using content analysis
approach. Theparticipants were 24 married women who were selectedfrom health care centers, recreational
centers, and two universities in Tehran, Iran. Semi-structured interviewswere used to collect the data.
Findings –During data analysis, four themes emerged that explained barriers to seeking help in the
participants: “fear of negative consequences of help-seeking,”“lack of resources,”“beliefs and attitudes,”
and “indirect experiences of not being supported.”
Originality/value –This study has practice and policy implications for promoting help-seeking among
abused women. Based on the results, to promote help-seeking, intervention plans must focus on
empowering women to improve their education and employment, eliminating attitudes and beliefs hindering
help-seeking, and fortifying formal and informal support systems for abused women.
Keywords Iran, Domestic violence, Barriers, Intimate partner violence, Help-seeking, Wife abuse
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
According to the definition by World Health Organization (WHO), violence is the intentional use of
physical power against one’s self, another person, or a group or community that would lead to
injury, death, mental damage, poor development, and deprivation or would be associated with
high risks of the mentioned conditions (Dutton et al., 2006). Violence against women is
considered to be a human rights violation and a serious public health problem (Taherkhani et al.,
2014). Domestic violence, which is also known as intimate partner violence (IPV ) or spouse
abuse, is defined as a pattern of bullying control which includes physical, sexual, or psychological
violence against the current or previous partner (Usta et al., 2007).
In the WHO’s study that was conducted on 24,000 women in ten countries, 15-71 percent of the
studied women experienced physical or sexual partner violence or both of them in their lifetime
(Garcia-Moreno et al., 2006). This problem is of high prevalence in Iran. In a study conducted in
Tehran, the prevalence of domestic violence in the past year was 88.3 percent, and the
prevalence of physical, sexual, and emotional violence was 25.4, 39.1, and 87.3 percent,
respectively (Taherkhani et al., 2009). In another study in Babol, the prevalence of physical,
sexual, and psychological violence in the past year was 15, 42.4, and 81.5 percent, respectively
(Faramarzi et al., 2005).
Among the consequences of violence we may note injuries caused by physical violence, such
as burns, bruising , broken bones, and be ing injured by knife or gu n (Nouri et al., 2012).
Central nervous system disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular problems, and
irritable bowel syndrome may occur due to the impact of violence on endocrine and immune
system (Breid ing et al., 2008; Crofford, 2007; Leserman and Drossman, 2007; Taherkhani
et al., 2010). Depression, substance abuse, suicide, and reduced self-esteem are among
psychological consequences of violence (Nouri et al., 2012; Taherkhani et al., 2015). Violence
has also negative consequences on women’s reproductive health. For instance it can lead to
Received 3 March 2017
Revised 22 May 2017
13 June 2017
Accepted 10 July 2017
Conflict of interest: the authors
declare that they have
no conflict of interest about
the present study.
Funding: none declared. The
authors express appreciation to
the participants who shared their
experiences with the authors.
Sakineh Taherkhani is an
Assistant Professor of
Reproductive Health at the
School of Nursing and
Midwifery, Shahroud University
of Medical Sciences,
Shahroud, Iran.
Reza Negarandeh is a
Professor at the Nursing and
Midwifery Care Research
Center, Tehran University of
Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Masoumeh Simbar is a
Professor of University at the
School of Nursing and
Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti
University of Medical Sciences,
Tehran, Iran.
Fazlollah Ahmadi is a Professor
of University at the Nursing
Department, Tarbiat Modares
University, Tehran, Iran.
DOI 10.1108/JAP-03-2017-0007 VOL. 19 NO. 5 2017, pp. 261-273, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1466-8203
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THE JOURNAL OF ADULT PROTECTION
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