Examination of the relationship between love attitudes, attachment styles and personality traits in women who have experienced domestic violence

Purpose: In this study, it was aimed to examine the relationship between love attitudes, attachment styles and personality traits in women who have experienced domestic violence and to compare these characteristics with women who were not exposed to violence and to look at their relations with the types of violence. Method: A total of 128 women, aged between 18 and 45, 64 women who have experienced/experienced domestic violence (by their partner) and 64 women who have not been subjected to domestic violence, were included in the study. Sociodemographic data form consisting of 49 questions and including questions about the violence they have been exposed to and 4 scale forms (Attitudes Towards Love Scale, Adult Attachment Style Scale, Domestic Violence Against Women Scale, Big Five-50 Personality Test) were administered to the study group. A 32-item sociodemographic data form that does not include violence data and 3 scale forms (Attitudes Towards Love Scale, Adult Attachment Style Scale, Big Five-50 Personality Test) were applied to the control group. Results: Women exposed to violence are more anxious and avoidant, altruistic and passionate at a higher rate; it was found that they showed less friendly and possessive love attitudes and had a lower rate of emotionally balanced personality traits. It was determined that those who had altruistic love and rational love attitudes among the women who had been subjected to violence were also anxious attachments. In these women, a significant negative correlation was found between extraversion and emotional stability and altruistic love, and between love like play and responsibility and emotional balance. The negative relationship between passionate love and emotional stability dimension and the positive relationship between friendly love and compatibility dimension in women with DV; There was a positive relationship between extraversion and secure attachment, and a negative relationship between avoidant attachment and a negative relationship between emotional stability and anxious attachment in these women. Conclusion: Emotional stability personality trait, friendly and possessive love attitudes can be a protective factor against violence and/or facilitating coping with violence, while anxious and avoidant attachment makes it difficult to cope with violence. Mental health professionals should try to make women exposed to violence gain these features in their supportive psychotherapy processes; in order to increase their ability to defend themselves psychologically , to increase their level of self-confidence, to help them improve their communication skills in relationships. Keywords: Domestic violence, personality traits, attachment styles, attitudes towards love