Perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of domestic violence among Vietnamese university students

Background: In Vietnam, domestic violence (DV) is recognized as an intentional act of causing physical, mental, sexual, or economic harm among family members. Despite legislative efforts, DV remains prevalent, significantly impacting women's mental and physical health. Traditional beliefs and c...

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Main Authors: Dang-Quang Le, Ha-An Nguyen, Dan-Tam Pham Nguyen, Ngan P. Nguyen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:SSM - Mental Health
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560324000392
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author Dang-Quang Le
Ha-An Nguyen
Dan-Tam Pham Nguyen
Ngan P. Nguyen
author_facet Dang-Quang Le
Ha-An Nguyen
Dan-Tam Pham Nguyen
Ngan P. Nguyen
author_sort Dang-Quang Le
collection DOAJ
description Background: In Vietnam, domestic violence (DV) is recognized as an intentional act of causing physical, mental, sexual, or economic harm among family members. Despite legislative efforts, DV remains prevalent, significantly impacting women's mental and physical health. Traditional beliefs and cultural norms further entrench DV, particularly among women and children, necessitating an understanding of perceptions and attitudes toward DV. Methods: This exploratory cross-sectional study surveyed 81 Vietnamese university students to assess their perceptions, attitudes, and personal experiences of DV. Survey data was collected online and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The study found high awareness of DV, with most participants recognizing physical and psychological violence, while less awareness was noted for economic abuse. A majority perceived DV as fairly common (57%) and highly common (37%). Most participants attributed DV to alcoholism (93%), drug addiction (93%), and poverty or social exclusion (90%). Roughly half of the participants had friends or family victims who were victims (53%) or perpetrators (46%) of DV. Despite general knowledge of DV laws, many were unaware of specific legal and social support mechanisms. Notably, while most participants found DV unacceptable and should always be punishable by law (64%), actual reporting and intervention rates were low, with significant gaps in support awareness. Conclusions: The findings highlight a substantial awareness of DV among Vietnamese university students but also reveal critical gaps in understanding and addressing economic abuse and available support systems. There is a need for enhanced education and accessibility of resources to effectively combat DV and support survivors, especially for young adults who would soon explore marriage and family lives.
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spelling doaj-art-866128ca9b8d428e9696babe7b5e84a32025-08-20T02:50:13ZengElsevierSSM - Mental Health2666-56032024-12-01610033410.1016/j.ssmmh.2024.100334Perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of domestic violence among Vietnamese university studentsDang-Quang Le0Ha-An Nguyen1Dan-Tam Pham Nguyen2Ngan P. Nguyen3Department of Psychology, Fulbright University Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet NamDepartment of Psychology, Fulbright University Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet NamDepartment of Psychology, Fulbright University Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam; Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USADepartment of Psychology, Fulbright University Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam; Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Corresponding author. Institute of Child Development, 51 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.Background: In Vietnam, domestic violence (DV) is recognized as an intentional act of causing physical, mental, sexual, or economic harm among family members. Despite legislative efforts, DV remains prevalent, significantly impacting women's mental and physical health. Traditional beliefs and cultural norms further entrench DV, particularly among women and children, necessitating an understanding of perceptions and attitudes toward DV. Methods: This exploratory cross-sectional study surveyed 81 Vietnamese university students to assess their perceptions, attitudes, and personal experiences of DV. Survey data was collected online and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The study found high awareness of DV, with most participants recognizing physical and psychological violence, while less awareness was noted for economic abuse. A majority perceived DV as fairly common (57%) and highly common (37%). Most participants attributed DV to alcoholism (93%), drug addiction (93%), and poverty or social exclusion (90%). Roughly half of the participants had friends or family victims who were victims (53%) or perpetrators (46%) of DV. Despite general knowledge of DV laws, many were unaware of specific legal and social support mechanisms. Notably, while most participants found DV unacceptable and should always be punishable by law (64%), actual reporting and intervention rates were low, with significant gaps in support awareness. Conclusions: The findings highlight a substantial awareness of DV among Vietnamese university students but also reveal critical gaps in understanding and addressing economic abuse and available support systems. There is a need for enhanced education and accessibility of resources to effectively combat DV and support survivors, especially for young adults who would soon explore marriage and family lives.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560324000392
spellingShingle Dang-Quang Le
Ha-An Nguyen
Dan-Tam Pham Nguyen
Ngan P. Nguyen
Perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of domestic violence among Vietnamese university students
SSM - Mental Health
title Perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of domestic violence among Vietnamese university students
title_full Perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of domestic violence among Vietnamese university students
title_fullStr Perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of domestic violence among Vietnamese university students
title_full_unstemmed Perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of domestic violence among Vietnamese university students
title_short Perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of domestic violence among Vietnamese university students
title_sort perceptions attitudes and experiences of domestic violence among vietnamese university students
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560324000392
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AT nganpnguyen perceptionsattitudesandexperiencesofdomesticviolenceamongvietnameseuniversitystudents