Evaluation of the knowledge and attitudes of final-term students about sexual harassment and assault in a medical school

Aim: Sexual harassment and violence are common preventable and important public health problems associated with adverse lifelong health outcomes, affecting both the victim and his/her environment. The aim of the study is to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of final-term students in a medical school about sexual harassment and assault. Materials and Methods: The study was planned in cross-sectional type and was carried out between July and October 2022. The population of the study consists of 400 senior students studying at a medical faculty. The sample size to be reached was calculated as 194, and it was aimed to reach 220 participants against the possibility of missing data. The data were collected by a face-to-face method. Data form: It consists of the introduction form, the Sexual Harassment and Assault Knowledge Test, the Attitudes Towards Sexual Harassment and Assault Scale, and the Responses to Harassment in the Professional and Non-Professional Contexts Questionnaire. High scores from the knowledge test indicate high levels of knowledge, and high scores from the attitude scale indicate healthy attitudes. The Survey on Responses to Harassment in the Professional and Non-Occupational Context assesses the differences in attitudes of the participants in their social and business lives. Statistical analysis methods used in the study; Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis H, Spearman correlation, Wilcoxon tests, and CHAID analysis. Findings: All 220 participants, which were targeted to be reached from a total of 400 medical faculty students, were reached. Participants; 47.3% are men, 52.7% are women and 94.5% are citizens of the Republic of Turkey. When the educational status of the parents of the participants was examined; It was seen that 74.5% of the mothers had a high school or higher graduation degree, and 89.5% of their fathers had a high school or higher graduation degree. Participants; 52.7% of them defined their family's economic status as medium and 60.9% of them defined their personal monthly income as sufficient. It was seen that the participants defined their success in the courses as good by 56.8%. The level of participants exposed to violence or harassment in the last year was found to be 56.8% (n=220). In the study, it was concluded that the general knowledge level of the participants in the Sexual Harassment and Assault Knowledge Test was high and their attitudes were healthy in the Attitudes towards Sexual Harassment and Assault Scale. However, it was noted that the participants showed a lack of knowledge and unhealthy attitudes toward some propositions. In the results of the participants' knowledge test; The knowledge level of women, Turkish citizens, those with only their father's higher education degree, and who describe their social relations as good were found to be higher. In the results of the attitude scale; Again, it was concluded that the attitudes of women and the participants who defined their social relations as good were healthier. In both tests, maternal education degree, family economic status, personal monthly income, place of residence, relationship status or history, and violence, and history of abuse were not associated. In addition, nationality and father's education level were not found to be related in the attitude scale. Another remarkable finding of the study is that those with higher knowledge have better attitudes. Finally, it is seen that they take a more intrusive approach to sexual assault in their work environment, where they feel professional responsibility, compared to their social lives. Conclusion: In this context, it will be important to focus on eliminating the lack of knowledge and improving the attitudes of physicians, if any, from occupational groups that are likely to serve victims of sexual harassment or assault. According to the results of the study, it is suggested that the training programs or courses should be primarily aimed at young men, the practices should be made into a state policy, collective awareness should be created in society, and the subject should be addressed primarily in formal education processes, vocational pieces of training and training for the society. Monitoring the causes of the issue and the studies carried out is important to ensure that the practices are effective and permanent.