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Male experiences of domestic and relational violence have been only marginally explored in the literature. In connection to this, attitudes in the community and among service providers and criminal justice system entities can vary dramatically. This variance in attitudes creates an instability which has a differential impact on the help-seeking behaviors of victims. Additionally, help-seeking behaviors are often influenced by internalized shame and confusion on the part of the survivors themselves when their social constructions of masculinity do not align with lived experience. More is needed to understand the nature of male survivorship in situations of relational violence. A systematic review was conducted to begin organizing the data on the topic. This review started with 15,547 peer-reviewed articles. Those were systematically narrowed to a total of 16 of the most recent pieces of empirical science on the topic. The final articles were thematically analyzed. Findings suggest (a) cultural stigma around constructions of masculinity, (b) fear of disclosure, and (c) negative experiences with criminal justice and support system responses, among the highest drivers for the disparate experience and hesitation to seek help., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

AbstractViolence against women (VAW) or domestic violence (DV) is a serious violation of human rights and is a major global health issue. Nearly 1 in 3 women globally have been subjected to physical and sexual violence by an intimate partner. VAW is a considerable issue in Turkey, as evidenced by one study showing that 43.4% of Turkish women surveyed had experienced at least one type of violence in their lifetime. Healthcare professionals and other practitioners are often the first point of contact for VAW survivors and can play an essential role in the recognition and intervention process. This descriptive, cross-sectional study examines the perspectives of women shelter staff on survivors of VAW in Turkey, considering how demographic factors influence these staff members’ views of VAW survivors. Seventy-nine women completed the Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS) revealing a significant association between the education levels of the participants and their AWS score. In addition, married women held more stigmatizing attitudes toward VAW survivors than single women. This study can serve as a valuable for researchers, professionals, and policymakers to learn and understand how culture and family values influence gender-based biases and tolerance levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To understand coping strategies used by women experiencing gender‐based violence and living in Turkey. Coping is a cognitive and behavioural strategy that individuals develop to manage stress, generally categorized as emotion‐focused or problem‐focused coping. Women exposed to gender‐based violence develop various coping strategies to manage stress and its adverse mental and physical health effects. Design: Qualitative study using the phenomenological approach. Methods: Data were collected in Turkey by using the snowball technique (n = 17) between September 2019 and September 2020. The Clinical Ethnographic Narrative Interview is the source of the qualitative data for this study. Data were coded manually and utilized the RADAR technique. Results: Seventeen women aged 25–40 were included in this analysis. Women stated that they were exposed to more than one type of gender‐based violence according to their lived experiences. Analysis of the nature of coping strategies revealed five main themes. The themes were self‐competence, separation from others/isolation, getting professional help, having faith and social support. Conclusion: Breaking the silence and listening to gender‐based violence experiences from survivors' voices contribute significantly to literature. There was a dearth of research on Turkish women's gender‐based violence survivors; the research intended to address that gap. The participants highlighted that they would like to receive more attention and felt relief in sharing their experiences. Impact The Clinical Ethnographic Narrative Interview is a great tool to explore narratives of gender‐based violence and coping skills of women. The study explored coping strategies of Turkish women's gender‐based violence survivors. The participants indicated their emotion‐focused and problem‐solving coping strategies and shared their stories. This study will enhance efforts to concentrate on gender‐based violence among Turkish women and inspire other researchers, practitioners and policymakers to change and provide more opportunities for the benefit and well‐being of these women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects millions of individuals across all demographics and ethnicities. Research has revealed a direct link between experiencing IPV and having adverse physical, mental, and financial outcomes which can create difficulties for survivors. Survivors experiencing these adverse outcomes are likely to seek out support to address these issues, increasing the likelihood that they will encounter mental health professionals (MHPs). MHPs can play a significant role in assessing and addressing IPV since they are often critical access points for those experiencing violence and are likely to counsel victims. Accurate identification of current or past IPV victimization is crucial to avoiding the potential of misdiagnosis of survivors. In addition, by applying and emphasizing an understanding of the connection between individual and structural explorations of gender, race, class, and other socially constructed identities, mental health professionals can utilize the skills necessary to challenge inequalities, which in turn can encourage survivors to create strategies that make sense to themselves and their communities. This study explores what is known about how MHPs are prepared to work with IPV. Peer-reviewed journals that were published between 2005 and 2019 were reviewed systematically to develop a better understanding of the existing literature. We sought to answer the question, "What is known about how MHPs are prepared to work with IPV?" This review identified 20 articles regarding training experiences of MHPs and how these experiences shaped their responses to and practice with those experiencing IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]