DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND FEMICIDE: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE 2008–2024 PERIOD IN TÜRKIYE

Abstract

This study examines domestic violence and femicide in Türkiye from a sociological perspective, focusing on data from the period between 2008 and 2024. It approaches femicide not as a series of isolated criminal acts but as the most severe and irreversible consequence of a prolonged cycle of physical, psychological, sexual, economic, and digital violence. The study evaluates the subject within the framework of patriarchal social structures, gender inequality, economic dependency, cultural norms, power and control relations, and the effectiveness of legal and social-protection mechanisms. The theoretical framework draws on the sociological approaches of Émile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, Pierre Bourdieu, and Anthony Giddens, together with feminist theory, hegemonic masculinity, social-learning theory, and the ecological model. The empirical analysis covers annual femicide figures, the pretexts advanced by perpetrators, perpetrator–victim relationships, methods and instruments of killing, victims’ marital and parental status, protection orders, age groups, employment status, and the locations in which the murders occurred. The findings demonstrate that femicides in Türkiye are committed predominantly by husbands, former husbands, intimate partners, and other family members. A considerable proportion of these murders occur in the home, showing the strong continuity between domestic violence and femicide. Separation, divorce, rejection, jealousy, and women’s attempts to make independent decisions concerning their lives emerge not as legitimate causes but as pretexts reflecting perpetrators’ desire to preserve power and control. Firearms and sharp instruments are among the most frequently used means of killing, while the existence of victims with protection orders indicates shortcomings in the implementation and monitoring of protective measures. The study concludes that criminal sanctions alone are insufficient to prevent femicide. Effective prevention requires early risk assessment, rigorous enforcement of protection orders, control of individual armament, accessible psychosocial and economic support, coordinated institutional intervention, gender-sensitive education, and social policies aimed at transforming patriarchal norms and unequal power relations. Protecting women’s right to life therefore requires a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and long-term policy approach.