سیما مرتضوی

Background:  Many legal and illegal Afghan migrant men have married Iranian women and started families within the country. In this context, there are also reports of domestic violence perpetrated by these migrant men. However, to date, there has been no identification of the factors influencing domestic violence in these families, nor has a program been developed for the self-care of women with migrant husbands.

Aims:  The aim of developing and validating a self-care program based on identifying factors influencing domestic violence is to reduce domestic violence against Iranian women with Afghan migrant husbands.  

Methods:  The research method  wa  of the exploratory mixed desig  type.,  which was conducted in two consecutive qualitative-quantitative phases. In the qualitative section, the statistical population included all Iranian women victims of domestic violence with Afghan migrant husbands residing in Tehran province. The sampling method was snowball sampling, ultimately resulting in interviews with ۱۴ of them. The data collection tool was a semi-structured in-depth interview, and after data collection, the information was analyzed using the seven-ste  Colaizzi'  method. The second phase of the study was conducted quantitatively using a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The study population consisted of all Iranian women victims of violence with Afghan migrant husbands in Tehran province, from which ۳۰ women were selected through snowball sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (۱۵ individuals) and a control group (۱۵ individuals). The research tool was the Mohseni Tabrizi (۲۰۱۲) questionnaire on domestic violence against women. The data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Results:  Qualitative results indicated that factors such as the personal characteristics of women (including misconceptions and economic status), the characteristics of Afghan spouses (economic, cultural, and social), and familial and social factors (such as cultural pressures and societal attitudes) play a role in increasing domestic violence against Iranian women. Quantitative findings also indicated that the empowerment program had a significant impact on reducing emotional and psychological violence, economic violence, spousal abuse, and learning to tolerate violence in the post-test phase  (P<۰.۰۱ and P<۰.۰۵).

Conclusion:  ased on the findings of this study, it seems essential to identify the factors influencing domestic violence in different communities. Increasing awareness and empowering Afghan spouse  about women's rights and the negative consequences of domestic violence through self-care skills training via workshops and seminars could be effective.