Midwifery students' attitudes toward violence against women by metaphor analysis: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to examine the attitudes and metaphorical perceptions of violence against women among midwifery students. METHODS: This Convergent Mixed-Methods study involved 383 midwifery students enrolled in a health sciences department during the 2024-2025 academic year. Data were collected using the Student Information Form, the Scale of Attitude Toward Violence Against Women, and the Metaphor Identification Form on Violence Against Women. RESULTS: Of the midwifery students, 21.5% reported exposure to at least one form of violence, with emotional and verbal violence being the most commonly reported. A substantial proportion of midwifery students remained silent when exposed to violence. The total mean attitude score for violence against women was 27.32±6.46, indicating non-traditional and non-myth-supporting attitudes. The metaphor analysis yielded eight overarching themes. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that midwifery students hold contemporary and critical attitudes toward violence against women; however, their help-seeking behaviors remain limited due to sociocultural barriers. The metaphors produced reflect a deep understanding of the destructive, cyclical, and structurally oppressive nature of violence. Overall, our findings demonstrate that midwifery students possess a multidimensional and detailed understanding of violence against women; however, persistent barriers to help-seeking behavior indicate that sociocultural norms remain powerful.