International Sociology and International Sociology Reviews

‘Gender-based violence and fear of crime’ is our Topic of the Month for November 2025. On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, enjoy this month on this topic Free Access to the article by Burcu Türk (Istanbul Kültür University, Türkiye), Nurcan Hamzaoglu (Istanbul Yeni Yuzyil University, Türkiye), Asli Yayak (Mudanya University, Türkiye), Gülçin Senyuva (Istanbul Kent University, Türkiye) published in International Sociology, Fear of crime in the context of gender and ambivalent sexism in Turkey. Read on to know more about the authors’ trajectory and work.

Burcu Türk

Nurcan Hamzaoglu

Asli Yayak

Gülçin Senyuva

Why are you working on this topic? Could you share an experience, a fact or a person who made you get engaged in that research?

The prevalence of gender inequality in Turkey and the associated experience of fear of crime among women constituted the core motivation for us to academically focus on this area. Our aim is not merely to measure this fear but also to offer a deeper analysis of the problem’s roots by revealing how structural attitudes, such as ambivalent sexism, shape this fear. Rather than a specific personal event, the desire to fill the theoretical gap in this area and contribute to policymaking, arising from our academic and social observations, has guided this research.

What would you emphasize about your academic trajectory? Can you highlight which have been your academic positions, universities, awards, departments and research centers please?

Our team consists of faculty members working in the Psychology Departments of various universities in Turkey. In our academic career, we particularly want to emphasize our expertise in the field of Forensic Psychology and our focus on crime and violence dynamics. Our work is situated on an interdisciplinary ground, including gender studies, sociology of crime, and applied psychology. Through our positions in various universities and departments, we are dedicated to understanding individual and social phenomena of violence using empirical methods and contributing to the knowledge base in this field.

Do you want to add any other information?

We believe that our research offers a valuable comparative perspective for international readers seeking to understand the social structure in Turkey. We anticipate that readers will find the way the article addresses the link between ambivalent sexism and fear of crime particularly interesting.

Nurcan Hamzaoglu is an Associate Professor at Istanbul Yeni Yuzyil University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, Türkiye.

Burcu Türk is an Associate Professor at Istanbul Kültür University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, Türkiye.

Gülçin Senyuva is an Associate Professor at Istanbul Kent University, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Türkiye.

Asli Yayak is an Associate Professor at Mudanya University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Türkiye.