Turkey's "anger" map revealed

The Emine Bulut murder case, which shook Turkey, has brought violence and its underlying causes back into the spotlight. An academic study on the subject reveals the anger map of our country. In this context, a study conducted by Üsküdar University graduate students produced the Turkey Addiction Risk Profile and Mental Health Map in 2018 with the participation of 25,000 people. Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the university has conducted numerous studies to date on preventing family violence and violent crimes. Tarhan said that within the scope of the "Let Women Live, Let Mothers Not Cry" social responsibility project, they signed a cooperation protocol with the Istanbul Police Directorate on the subject and would create a database related to violence cases. The study conducted under the leadership of Social Sciences Institute Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökben Hızlı Sayar and Psychology Department Assistant Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Ünübol sheds light on Hostility (Anger-Hostility-Aggression) Analysis. At the opening of the press conference organized at Üsküdar University, Üsküdar University Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and Üsküdar University Vice Rector, Director of the Violence and Crime Prevention Application and Research Center (ŞİDAM) Prof. Dr. Sevil Atasoy made assessments on violence. Prof. Dr. Tarhan, noting that the university has conducted many important studies to prevent family violence and violent crimes to date, stated "We are ready to support public institutions with our experience and knowledge on this matter." Tarhan said they signed a "Social and Scientific Cooperation Protocol" with the Istanbul Police Directorate, and that the protocol covers cooperation between the Police Directorate in the areas of education, scientific research, and development. Tarhan noted that it is not sufficient to expect everything from the state. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that the university will conduct a series of studies that will include NGOs, noted that they have taken action to create a database.

In cooperation with the Police Directorate, they stated that they will create a comprehensive database on violence cases, violence victims, or persons who will be defendants in connection with violence, namely those who perpetrate violence.

Tarhan, noting that the Istanbul Provincial Police Directorate has opened offices related to domestic violence in all districts, said "There are police officers assigned to head them, but of course this is not sufficient. They only compile statistics on the current situation and refer cases, but many of these people need treatment. For this, we are also planning clinical work on issues such as rapid intervention and, if medical treatment is necessary, admission to medical treatment. We aim to expand this further and train psychologists who work in cooperation with the police." "The 'Just manage, daughter' approach must be abandoned" Tarhan, noting that many cases of domestic violence involve hidden depression, warned mothers. He stated that the "Just manage, daughter" approach must be abandoned. Tarhan also addressed the Istanbul Convention in his remarks, pointing out that there are shortcomings in its implementation. Reminding that the concept of mediation in families should not be abandoned, Tarhan warned that its removal could have a further aggravating effect on domestic violence incidents. He pointed to the need for more detailed discussion of the issue and necessary revisions where appropriate. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that in preventing violence, especially young people during adolescence should be given positive psychology education containing concepts such as stress management, coping with problems, and anger control.

Of the 4 women who die, 3 are killed by their husbands!

Üsküdar University Vice Rector, ŞİDAM Director Prof. Dr. Sevil Atasoy, expressing that femicide has a different place among crimes against life, said "Because women are generally killed by someone they know, a family member, their spouse, or ex-spouse. She experiences violence in the place where she feels safest, in her home, and loses her life. Men killed at least 184 women in the first 7 months of 2019. Of every 4 men who killed women, 3 were husbands. 58% of women were killed at home. Men killed women because they wanted to separate or did not want to reconcile, wanted to see their child, did not like the shoes they bought, or even because of an argument over jewelry, due to jealousy, and under the pretext that they treated them badly," she said. Prof. Dr. Sevil Atasoy, noting that Turkey has made progress in preventing all types of violence against women since the early 1990s and has implemented regulatory reforms, said "The law No. 6284 on the Protection of the Family and the Prevention of Violence Against Women, which came into force in 2012, is the most important of these, but there are serious problems in implementation. Because there is still a mentality in society that opposes women's rights and gender equality. The number of violence prevention centers is insufficient. Practices are not standardized. Services provided vary from province to province," pointing out the shortcomings in implementation. Üsküdar University Faculty of Human and Social Sciences Psychology Department Faculty Member, Social Sciences Institute Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökben Hızlı Sayar described hostility as "Strain resulting from anger outbursts, irritability, and aggressive feelings whose source cannot be controlled." Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sayar explained "Hostility is the feeling that arises when someone we care about does not behave as we expect or when we think we are not getting what we are entitled to. It is quite difficult to make a sharp distinction between hostility and anger. It can be said that anger refers more to an emotion, while hostility refers more to a behavior."

Hostility score highest age range; 18-23

The research, conducted with a total of 24,494 people, comprising 12,191 women and 12,303 men across all 81 provinces in Turkey, drew attention as the most comprehensive study on hostility in our country. In the analysis by age and gender in the study conducted, the age group with the highest hostility score was found to be 18-23 years old. Looking at Turkey's mental health map, the Southeast Anatolia region has the highest hostility, while the Thrace and Central Black Sea regions have the lowest. Our unidentified emotions turn into anger Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökben Hızlı Sayar said "We can say that hostility in both men and women is related to difficulty in recognizing emotions. It shows a very high and serious correlation in those who have difficulty expressing their emotions. We can say that our unidentified emotions turn into anger." How does hostility turn into violence? Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökben Hızlı Sayar outlined the steps in how hostility transforms into violence.

• If a feeling directed outward and a person's anger cannot be transformed into a constructive or self-correcting force, this anger is reflected in behaviors.
• Sometimes this turns into behavioral addiction, sometimes chemical addiction like smoking, and sometimes it can turn into violent behaviors.
• Like addictions, behaviors that are not directed at the source of anger and hostility but temporarily relieve the person, after some time cause the person to feel anger again and this time feel it more strongly.
• For this reason, the person begins to move about with uncontrolled anger, like a ticking time bomb.

Assoc. Prof. Sayar identified young age, difficulty in recognizing emotions, difficulty in expressing emotions, abundance of negative feelings, low personal well-being, smoking, alcohol, and/or substance use among the factors affecting hostility. If a person does not address the source of the problem or any constructive action, anger can get out of control. It is important that anger is recognized and the person can identify their emotion. In addition, social events and problems that individuals cannot control can lead to an increase in anger that society will struggle to cope with. For this reason, in addition to individual problems, negative events in society should be addressed in the most constructive way possible, which can reduce society's anger. From a young age, appropriate emotion expression training should be provided, the public should be raised in awareness, and a language free from polarization and anger should prevail among community leaders.