Speciality Social Neuroscience, Social Pedagogy and Education
Library of the School of Education

2024-06-27

2024

Kyrimi Konstantina

1) Μάριος Κουκουνάρας - Λιάγκης, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής ΕΚΠΑ (επιβλέπων)
2) Μαρία Βασιλειάδου, Καθηγήτρια ΕΚΠΑ
3) Ηρώ Μυλωνάκου-Κεκέ, Καθηγήτρια ΕΚΠΑ

Η ΜΑΙΕΥΤΙΚΗ ΒΙΑ ΚΑΙ H ΚΑΝΟΝΙΚΟΠΟΙΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ: ΜΙΑ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΟΠΑΙΔΑΓΩΓΙΚΗ ΔΙΕΡΕΥΝΗΣΗ

Greek

OBSTETRIC VIOLENCE AND NORMALISATION IN GREECE: A SOCIAL PEDAGOGICAL INVESTIGATION

Introduction: Obstetric violence (OV) refers to any form of disrespect and abuse experienced by women during childbirth within a hospital setting. It is a form of gender-based violence that emerged in the aftermath of urbanization, rooted in the structural violence faced by women, gender inequality, and the medicalization of the natural event of childbirth. It is considered one of the most normalized and invisible forms of violence against women.
Aim: The aim of this research is to study whether women giving birth in Greek hospitals have been exposed to OV and in what forms, to identify risk factors associated with it, and to determine if exposure to OV has affected their mental health and intentions for future pregnancies. Additionally, the objective is to identify the degree of normalization of OV by women and the psychosocial factors related to it.
Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with a non-randomized sample of 450 women who responded to questionnaires shared online.
Results: The study revealed that 95.56% of participating women had experienced at least one form of Obstetric Violence (OV), with verbal abuse and non-compliance with professional care standards, including informed consent, being the most prevalent. Significant risk factors for OV exposure included young maternal age and giving birth in a public hospital. Protective measures included prior knowledge of the healthcare providers, such as the physician and midwife. Despite the high prevalence of OV, only 50.2% of women were able to recognize their exposure to it. Among those who identified their experiences, more than half reported that the negative incidents influenced their intentions for future pregnancies and considered seeking help from mental health professionals. It was observed that embracing gender stereotypes by women acted as a strong predictor for the normalization of OV.
Conclusion-Discussion: OV and its normalization are real phenomena impacting the lives of individuals giving birth in Greece. It represents a multifaceted issue within the complexity of modern societies, requiring interventions across various elements such as women themselves, healthcare professionals, the healthcare system, institutions, and laws. This situation provides an apt theme for the reshaping education of Social Pedagogy which aims at prevention and proactive intervention against social problems.

Health Sciences

Obstetric violence, gender-based violence, normalization of violence

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File access is restricted until 2024-12-27.

https://pergamos.lib.uoa.gr/uoa/dl/object/3401997