What Are the Saudi Community Attitudes Towards Domestic Violence Against Women? A Cross-Sectional Study From Riyadh

Abstract

Introduction: Culture and social norms shape attitudes towards domestic violence against women (DVAW). Attitudes accepting DVAW contribute to violence. There is scarce evidence about community attitudes towards DVAW in Saudi Arabia. The study explores the Saudi community attitudes towards DVAW. Methods: The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design using a self-report structured questionnaire to collect socio-demographic data and participants’ attitudes towards DVAW. Results: The study sample included 831 Saudi participants, 414 females and 417 males, between 18 and 79 years old. The majority of participants (69.5%) showed rejection of DVAW. Women were five times more likely to reject DVAW than men (OR = 5.19, 95% CI [3.6–7.4]). Participants with pre-university education and lower living standards reported rejection of DVAW compared to their counterparts. Discussion: The results can help stakeholders develop strategies and awareness campaigns targeting different educational and living levels to minimize DVAW.

Alkol ve Madde Bağımlısı Olan Bireylerin Kadına Yönelik Şiddete İlişkin Tutumları

“…In one study, singles were shown to have higher positive attitudes towards violence against women compared to married individuals (Tok and Mayda 2021). Selim et al (2022) reported that 19% of married women considered violence against women in the family as normal, 68.2% of single women and 79.5% of divorced women rejected domestic violence. The low scores of those who are married may be due to the fact that in societies influenced by Islamic culture, marriage is considered sacred and the confidentiality of all events/actions within marriage is emphasized.…”

Cultural collectivism, intimate partner violence, and women's mental health: An analysis of data from 151 countries

“…Thus, while demographic factors may significantly mediate the association between cultural values and IPV, a direct contribution from certain aspects of culture cannot be entirely ruled out. Some of these, such as an emphasis on family honor and a reluctance to discuss intra-familial problems with "outsiders, " have been consistently reported in studies of migrant and ethnic minority women in Western cultures (Hulley et al, 2022) as well as in Asian and African settings (Mshweshwe, 2020;Arisukwu et al, 2021;Selim et al, 2022). Other values that have been reported to contribute to IPV in collectivist settings include notions of self-sacrifice associated with the female gender role (Natal, 2022), acceptance of cultural myths regarding the acceptability of violence among men (Toplu-Demirtas et al, 2022), and exaggerated notions of masculinity and patriarchy (Mshweshwe, 2020;Arisukwu et al, 2021).…”