Aggression, Gender Role, Violence
Conditions
Keywords
Creative Drama, Gender Role Stress, Attitudes Toward Violence Against Women, Earthquake Survivors, Men's Mental Health, Post-Disaster Psychosocial Support, Türkiye Earthquake 2023, Non-Pharmacological Intervention
Brief summary
This study aims to examine the effect of Creative Drama on gender role stress, attitudes toward violence against women, and aggression among men who experienced the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Türkiye (centered in Kahramanmaraş). A total of 75 men (25 experimental, 25 placebo, and 25 control) will participate in the study. The experimental group will take part in a creative drama program, the placebo group will watch films focusing on masculinity roles and violence for 10 weeks, and no intervention will be applied to the control group. Data will be collected using the Gender Role Stress Scale for Men, the Attitudes Toward Violence Against Women Scale, and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire - Short Form, and will be analyzed by an independent statistician. The study aims to enhance the psychological well-being of men affected by the earthquake in Türkiye, reduce violence against women, and contribute to gender equality.
Detailed description
On February 6, 2023, two major earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 struck Türkiye, affecting 11 provinces, with Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adıyaman, and Malatya among the most severely impacted regions. These disasters had profound psychosocial consequences, particularly for men exposed to trauma, displacement, and post-disaster stressors that may influence gender role stress, aggression, and attitudes toward violence against women. This study is designed as a randomized controlled experimental trial to examine the effectiveness of a Creative Drama-based psychosocial intervention among men who experienced the February 6 earthquake and currently reside in Malatya. The research will be conducted between November 2025 and December 2026. The intervention is structured around Creative Drama, an experiential and participatory method that combines role-playing, improvisation, group interaction, and reflective discussion. The Creative Drama program will consist of 10 weekly group sessions, each designed to encourage emotional expression, critical reflection on masculinity norms, awareness of gender roles, and non-violent coping strategies. Sessions will be conducted in small groups and facilitated by a trained researcher with experience in creative drama practices. To control for attention and group interaction effects, a placebo group will be included. Participants in this group will attend weekly sessions during which they will watch selected Turkish films addressing themes related to masculinity, gender roles, aggression, and violence against women. These sessions will not include structured discussion or therapeutic guidance. A control group will receive no intervention during the study period. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the three groups (experimental, placebo, or control) using a simple randomization procedure to ensure equal group sizes. Due to the nature of the intervention, blinding of participants and the researcher will not be possible. However, outcome data will be coded and analyzed by an independent statistician who will be blinded to group allocation. Data will be collected at baseline and after completion of the intervention using standardized and validated self-report instruments. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the development of psychosocial interventions aimed at reducing gender role stress and aggressive behaviors, promoting gender equality, and preventing violence against women in post-disaster contexts.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCreative Drama Program
A structured 10-week Creative Drama program designed to reduce gender role stress, negative attitudes toward violence against women, and aggressive behaviors. Each session will include warm-up activities, improvisation, role-playing, and reflection components. Sessions will be conducted once a week for 90 minutes by a certified drama educator.
BEHAVIORALFilm Viewing Sessions
Participants in the placebo group will watch 10 Turkish films over a 10-week period (one per week) that include themes of masculinity, gender roles, and violence. This intervention is designed as an attention-control condition to match the structure of the experimental group without providing therapeutic content.
Sponsors
Ataturk University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
Participants in both the experimental and placebo groups will not be informed about which intervention they are receiving. They will be told that they are participating in different program formats as part of the same research study. The control group will receive no intervention. The data analyst/statistician, who is independent of the research team, will be blinded to group assignments. All groups (experimental, placebo, and control) will be coded as X, Y, and Z during data entry and analysis. Therefore, this study will be conducted as a double-blind design, with masking applied to the participants and the outcomes assessor.
Intervention model description
Randomized controlled trial
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Male individuals who experienced the 2023 Türkiye earthquake (centered in Kahramanmaraş) and currently live in Malatya. Married during the earthquake and currently married. Volunteer to participate in the study. Aged between 18 and 65 years. No hearing or visual impairments. No intellectual disability. At least primary school graduate. No diagnosed psychiatric disorder. Have not received creative drama training. Have not received psychosocial support after the earthquake. Have not participated in previous studies involving creative drama related to gender role stress, attitudes toward violence against women, or aggression. Agree to attend weekly sessions and comply with the study program.
Exclusion criteria
Voluntary withdrawal from the study. Failure to attend sessions regularly. Changing residence to another city during the study period. Divorce during the study period. Beginning to receive psychosocial support during the study period.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Male Gender Role Stress Levels | Baseline (Week 0) and 10 weeks after intervention | To evaluate the effect of the Creative Drama Program on gender role stress among men who experienced the 2023 Türkiye earthquake. The Gender Role Stress Scale for Men will be used to measure changes in perceived gender-related stress. The minimum score that can be obtained from the scale is 27, and the maximum score is 130. Higher scores indicate a higher level of gender role stress in the individual. |
| Change in Attitudes Toward Violence Against Women | Baseline (Week 0) and 10 weeks after intervention | To assess the impact of the Creative Drama Program on men's attitudes toward violence against women. The Attitudes Toward Violence Against Women Scale will be administered to measure changes in participants' beliefs and attitudes. For the overall scale, the minimum possible score is 30 and the maximum score is 150. Higher scores indicate a negative attitude toward violence against women (i.e., the individual is opposed to violence against women), whereas lower scores indicate a positive attitude toward violence against women (i.e., the individual is not opposed to violence against women). |
| Change in Aggression Levels | Baseline (Week 0) and 10 weeks after intervention | To determine the effect of the Creative Drama Program on aggression among male earthquake survivors. The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire - Short Form will be used to assess total aggression and subscale scores (physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility). For the overall scale, the minimum possible score is 29 and the maximum score is 145. As the score increases, the level of aggression also increases. |
Contacts
CONTACTAslı SİS ÇELİK
CONTACTSevim LEVENT
STUDY_DIRECTORAslı SİS ÇELİK
Ataturk University
Outcome results
None listed