# Evaluating the Effect of Gender on Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward Violence Against Women by Metaphor Analysis: A Qualitative Study

## TL;DR

This study explores how gender influences nursing students' attitudes toward violence against women through metaphor analysis.

## Contribution

The study introduces metaphor analysis as a novel method to explore gender differences in attitudes toward violence against women among nursing students.

## Key findings

- Female students used more solution-oriented metaphors compared to male students.
- Male students characterized perpetrators of violence with negative metaphorical language.
- Four main themes emerged from male and female students' metaphors, highlighting differences in perception and attitude.

## Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of gender on nursing students' attitudes toward violence against women using metaphor analysis.

The study was conducted with 64 nursing students from January to April of 2023. Metaphor analysis was used as a research method. In the Metaphor Identification Form on Violence Against Women, students were asked, “Violence against women is similar to …………………. Because…………………………….” and they were asked to complete the blank space in this sentence by explaining a metaphor and the reason for the metaphor. The study adhered to the COREQ checklist.

The four main themes that emerged from the male students' metaphors were as follows: (1) violence injures women, (2) the perpetrator of violence is not a human being, (3) violence threatens the future of society, and (4) violence must be resolved. Similarly, four principal themes were derived from the metaphorical expressions of female students: (1) violence is destructive and kills, (2) violence separates women from life, (3) the perpetrator of violence is weak and powerless, and (4) violence destroys society.

Female students generated metaphors that were more solution‐oriented. Male students used negative metaphorical language to characterize the perpetrator of violence. It was proposed that the nursing curriculum be enhanced by incorporating relevant courses and implementing social responsibility projects.