The aim of this thesis was to investigate the relationship of ambivalent sexism toward women and men and system justification with understanding of honor and attitudes toward violence against women for protecting honor. 351 undergraduate students from METU, Ankara and Gazi University participated in the study (180 females and 166 males). Participants&amp / #8217 / ages ranged from 17 to 30 (M=21.56). Data was collected by a questionnaire consisting of Understanding of Honor Scale / Attitudes toward Violence against Women for Protecting Honor Scale / Ambivalent Sexism Inventory which has two subscales of Hostile Sexism (HS) and Benevolent Sexism (BS) / and Ambivalence toward Men Inventory which has two subscales of Hostility toward Men and Benevolence toward Men (BM) / and Economic System Justification Scale and demographic information. Seperate linear regression analyses for males and females were performed in order to compare their responses. Results showed that among males, higher levels of HS and BM / and lower levels of HM / and among females, higher levels of BM and system justification predicted higher tendency to relate honor with women&amp / #8217 / s virginity and holding men responsible for protecting it. Regarding attitudes toward violence against women for protecting honor, males&amp / #8217 / scores were positively associated with BM, whereas females&amp / #8217 / scores were positively associated with BM and ESJ scores. The thesis aims to contribute to the literature by (1) investigating the concept of honor which has not been delt with in psychology literature / (2) introducing two newly developed scales: Understanding of Honor Scale and Attitudes toward Violence against Women for Protecting Honor Scale / and (3) making use of ambivalence toward men and women, and system justification theory while investigating the topic.

Since the issue of dating violence emerged onto the research agenda in the 1980s, researchers have focused upon measuring the prevalence of physical violence occurring in young people’s intimate relationships, using quantitative methods. Surveys, which have limited young people’s reporting to stating whether or not they have perpetrated or sustained any of a fixed range of predetermined violent acts, have formed the dominant methodological approach. In the main, dating violence studies have focused on researching university students in the United States of America, and young people not attending American universities are an under-researched population in the dating violence literature. The dearth of qualitative approaches to past studies of dating violence has meant that young people’s own accounts of their experiences, attitudes and perceptions of dating violence and abuse have been afforded minimal focus. Feminist theoretical approaches to dating violence research are now emerging, contributing a valuable gendered analysis of the issues. Through qualitative interviews with forty five young people aged 16-21 (23 men and 22 women), recruited primarily from a Further Education college and an organisation working with young people not in education, employment or training, this thesis explores young people’s attitudes, perceptions and experiences of violence and abuse in intimate dating relationships, through a feminist theoretical lens. The study is couched in a rich body of feminist empirical and theoretical literature, which conceptualises intimate partner violence as primarily an issue of men’s violence against women, perpetrated with the rationale of maintaining power and control. The impact that popular theoretical discourses of gender equality and female empowerment may have upon young people’s capacity to acknowledge ongoing gender inequalities is also considered in this thesis. The findings of the current research indicate that young people’s dating relationships (and experiences of heterosexuality in general) reflect ongoing gender inequalities which are influenced to a great extent by patriarchal modes of power and control. The accounts of young men and women in this study established dating relationships as sites of imbalanced gender power, with many modes of men’s power control, surveillance and monitoring of their girlfriends described as ‘normal’ and acceptable. There was a widespread perception among the participants that dating violence is an issue of ‘mutual combat’ where women are just as likely as men to be perpetrators, even though their experiences of dating violence largely reflected the pattern of female victims and male perpetrators. In regard to violence against women by men, many of the participants perceived men’s violence to be understandable in the face of women’s provocation, particularly in cases where women are perceived to be ‘cheating’. For a significant minority of young people, intimate relationships are sites of violence and abuse, with women disproportionately the victims. The findings from this study indicate a lack of awareness of the avenues of support that can be accessed by young people experiencing dating violence and abuse. The findings also highlight a requirement for direct educative strategies to challenge some young people’s support for men’s violence against women.

Denna studie syftar till att öka förståelsen för hur övergrepp mot äldre i nära relationer kan se ut, skillnader mellan könen och skillnader mellan yngre respektive äldre, samt att diskutera möjliga åtgärder inom området. Svensk forskning har visat att 16 % av kvinnorna och 13 % av männen efter sin 65-årsdag har utsatts för någon form av övergrepp. Det är således ett viktigt ämne. Kvalitativ metod och induktiv ansats utgjorde de övergripande metoderna. Med hjälp av litteratur och informanters kunskap har problemområdet utforskats. I huvudsak svensk, men i viss grad, nordisk litteratur användes. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med tre informanter och tre studier utforskades. Genom dessa genererades resultatet som sammanställdes och analyserades med hjälp av tidigare forskning och teorierna socialkonstruktionism och ålderism. Studien begränsades genom att svensk forskning i huvudsak användes. Anledningen till detta var att studien syftade till att undersöka svenska förhållanden. De övergrepp äldre utsätts för av vård- och omsorgspersonal och de övergrepp äldre utsätter varandra för på särskilda boenden inkluderades inte. Jag valde att titta både äldre mäns och äldre kvinnors utsatthet för övergrepp. Några av slutsatserna var att äldre kvinnor i högre utsträckning än män utsätts för övergrepp i nära relationer och att förövaren oftast är en man. Inom parrelationer var skillnaden mellan könens utsatthet för övergrepp marginell. Genusperspektiv saknas ofta när ämnet diskuteras. Ytterligare en slutsats som drogs var att avsaknad av forskning och statistik inom ämnet utgör ett stort problem.

Med växande antal anmälningar från lärare till arbetsmiljöverket har behovet av relevant forskning framkommit. Syftet med denna C-uppsats var att undersöka om kränkningar, hot och våld mot lärare i kommunen Nordanstig förekom. Utfirån syftet ställdes sen tre frågeställningar, Hur vanligt är det att lärare, vikarier samt skolpersonal med pedagogisk elevkontakt, kränks, hotas, samt eventuellt utsätts för våld i kommunen Nordanstig? Hur påverkas läraren om denne blir utsatt för kränkningar, hot eller våld, kommer läraren av olika anledningar att låta detta passera i kommunen Nordanstig? Hur påverkas en lärares pedagogiska arbete om läraren blir utsatt för kränkningar, hot eller våld, kommer läraren att undvika jobbet eller sjukskriva sig i kommunen Nordanstig? För att få svar på dessa frågeställningar så utformades en enkät med 29 frågor som användes som en surveyundersökning. Resultatet påvisade tydliga svar att cirka hälften av de lärare, vikarier samt skolpersonal med pedagogisk elevkontakt kränks av elever och att det 45 av 46 besvarare sett andra kollegor kränkas av elever. Vidare svar påvisade en tendens till att detta nu ökat. Hot har förekommit men är mer ovanligt, våld mot lärare är sällsynt men har hänt. Även hot och våld påvisar en svag tendens till att ha ökat. Studien visar att det händer att cirka hälften av besvararna låter kränkningar från elever passera. Hot tillåts sällan passera mot lärare. Endast 3 av 46 besvarare har tillåtit våld passera utan åtgärd.21 av 46 besvarare har aldrig känt olust eller otrygghet på sin arbetsplats, 3 av 46 besvarare har varit sjukskriven p.g.a elev/ers våld mot denne.

Intimate partner violence is a problem which is increasingly drawing attention in society. The authority responsible for providing care and support to victims of intimate partner violence and their children is the social services. The purpose of this study was to show how social workers deal with intimate partner violence and to create a description of how this work is currently carried out in seven municipalities in the north-west of Stockholm. This was done through a quantitative survey including all investigating social workers in the municipalities concerned. The results were analysed with concepts from organizational theory. The findings showed that there is a need for further education related to intimate partner violence. The differences observed between the municipalities were derived mainly to the presence of a coordinator for issues concerning violence against women. Furthermore, results showed that social workers believe that the best possibilities to help victims of intimate partner violence lay outside the own organization. To better fulfil their statutory responsibility regarding intimate partner violence the next step for the municipalities would be to make sure that social workers gain further knowledge about intimate partner violence.

This is a qualitative study of girls’ and boys’ understanding and experiences of genderbased violence in one co-educational primary school in KwaZulu-Natal. The study sought to get insights into the problem of gender-based violence by investigating the lived experiences of both male and female learners within the school context. The aim of the study was to unveil forms of gender-based violence that the learners experience and some contributory factors, as well as the strategies for alleviating gender-based violence in this schooling context. The study adopted a qualitative case study research design. It employed semi-structured interviews as its method of data collection and these took the form of focus group interviews and individual in-depth interviews. A total of eight learners (four girls and four boys) participated in the study. The study found that there was a high incidence of gender-based violence in the school under study. This took the form of demeaning gendered comments, unfounded sexual rumours, sexualized gestures and jokes, sexual harassment, bullying and corporal punishment. Some school spaces, peer pressure, media and dominant discourses of gender were found to be some factors contributing to gender-based violence in this school. The findings indicate that boys are the group most culpable of continuing the cycle of genderbased violence by perpetrating acts of aggression on others learners. Boys drew on dominant discourses of gender in this context, which generally accord power to masculinities, at the expense of femininities. The resultant inequitable gendered power relations played a vital role in the perpetuation of the cycle of gender-based violence in the school. The study also finds that school teachers too were implicated in acts of gendervii based violence, which mainly took the form of assaulting learners, both male and female. In addition, teachers display a general acceptance of gender-based violence incidents as normal children’s behaviour, and take no remedial actions to stop such abuses. The study offers some suggestions that relevant stakeholders could employ to address gender-based violence at schools. These include supplementing teacher education curriculum, to provide training on how to deal with gender-based violence, a campaign to bring about greater awareness in schools and in the communities where parents are involved, additional professional support for schools and setting up structures for learner peer support. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.

This study examined the dynamics of school violence and the role of school leadership in reducing it in two Umlazi township schools. A case study was conducted in two secondary schools in Umlazi township. The aim of the study was to explore how school leaders (School Governing bodies, School Management Teams, educators, learners and parents) help schools to reduce violence. This qualitative study was set in the interpretivist paradigm. The research tools compromised of semi-structured interviews, documents analysis and observations. The two theories which underpinned this study were violent and non-violent theories. A review of international and national literature around school violence revealed that some of the challenges of learner-indiscipline encountered by South African schools were being experienced world-wide. The findings of this research were a revelation to me that violence in schools and in the community has escalated to such an extent that it has become an access problem for some learners in many schools in South Africa (SAIRR, 2008). I had a privilege of experiencing first-hand what secondary school educators, managers and parents encountered and dealt with on a daily basis. It is evident that learner indiscipline is on the increase; educator’s teaching time is being consumed in dealing with discipline issues; educators are becoming frustrated and demoralised; the tribunal hearings are not regarded as an effective structure by educators, learners and parental involvement is lacking as parents seems to have abdicated the responsibility for their children’s behaviour and education to the school management and educators. Further, the SGB play a limited role in the activities of the school due to their incapacity and lack of empowerment. Some of the recommendations based on the findings are that schools must involve all stakeholders in the formation of the Code of Conduct policy. The contents and procedures outlined in the policy must be communicated to all stakeholders and there must be consistency in its application. Stakeholders must formulate innovative strategies to engage parents to actively participate in the activities of the school. The Department of Education must fulfil its obligation to capacitate parents and other stakeholders. An empowered SMT and SGB will make a greater contribution to the elimination of school violence. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Gender-based violence and the risk of HIV infection are some of the social problems facing women in South Africa. The emergence of gender-based violence as a prominent challenge facing the University of KwaZulu-Natal community led to the impetus for a qualitative study which focuses specifically on female UKZN residence students on Howard College Campus. A social constructionist approach was used to explore how female UKZN residence students understand and experience gender-based violence and safe sex practices. Unstructured interviews were conducted with twelve female residence students and interview texts were analysed using discourse analysis. The findings revealed the difficulties women experience in negotiating safe sex and how gender-based violence is facilitated through a system of discourses which reproduce patriarchal power relations. This research shines a light on the prevalence of gender-based violence in South Africa and the far reaching impact it has on the lives of women. The fear of gender-based violence is a continuous presence in the lives of these women and this research demonstrates how one does not have to be a victim of gender-based violence to experience the trauma and anxiety surrounding this violence. Hopefully this research will culminate in policy and interventions aimed at improving the lives of female students at UKZN. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Violence against women is considered a global issue and it denies women their most basic human right, their health. The news media have been identified as an important factor in how violence against women is interpreted and perceived by society. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate how journalists and editors in Guyana, South America, work with the coverage of violence against women. Furthermore, this thesis examines what policies and views on news value that are prominent on the newspapers and what possibilities journalists and editors experience, to make an impact on society, through their reporting. Eight qualitative in-depth interviews were carried out with editors and reporters on the three most widely spread daily newspapers in Guyana. Also a quantitative content analysis, covering January-April 2014, was performed on the same newspapers. In total 159 articles that reported on cases of violence against women were found and coded. The result indicates that the reporting in Guyana conforms to previous research. The conclusion is that when it comes to context, language and sources used, the newspapers generally fail to work with violence against women adequately. The reporting preserves and reproduces patriarchal power structures by using victim blaming or perpetrator excusing language, not covering it as a social issue and overusing official sources. Furthermore, the result indicates that there are unwritten policies on the newspapers. However, these guidelines are not always followed. The study indicates that the reporting is not given enough resources in terms of time and money, which might be a result of that reporters and editors do not experience that readers are interested enough for the topic to get sufficient resources.

In Gonzalez et al. v. Mexico, a case decided by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in 2009, a context of discrimination and violence against women was known to target particular subgroups of women, of which the claimants were constituent, distinguished inter alia by their age, socioeconomic and, in some cases, migrant status. Despite this, the judgment of the Inter-American Court focused almost exclusively on sex discrimination and violence against women as a broader social phenomenon. With this judgment forming the background for the critique, the author will develop an anti-essentialist framework for the analysis of discrimination and violence against women claims where the discrimination was compounded by various identity factors. Intended to assist the Inter-American Court with its articulation of norms and standards in such cases, the ultimate value of this framework should be measured in terms of the assistance it can offer the Court at the reparations stage.