stress and violence against women: a qualitative research

Violence against women is a major obstacle to the development of all societies. Violence against women can be seen in all forms of physical, economic, legal, social and cultural life both in the public and in the private sphere.Considering the importance of the subject, this study has been conducted among 20 - 60 year old married women in Tabriz city. The research sample was selected using snowball method. Qualitative data was collected from 24 married women in Tabriz using semi-structured interviews about the main aspects of the research. Data analysis was carried out using the grounded theory and using an open, axial and selective coding approach. The findings show that men's physical violence against women reflects a number of tensions and stress. The concept of “stress” in this research indicates the men’s reaction to external and internal pressures in the public and private spheres. In other words, stress is a negative reaction of men to the situation and present situation in the sociey from which the violence against women is one of its consequences.