Citation

Suzuki Y. Bull. Kiryu Jr. Coll. 2007; 18: 131-136.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Kiryu University)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Moral harassment corresponds to the mental harassment found as a part of domestic violence, and there is a large possibility that it is not treated as a serious problem when not accompanied by physical violence. Reasons for this are the scarcity of objective evidence and lack of urgency as well as reasons such as there being no direct connection to life. There are also concerns that that there is a greater possibility of encountering so-called secondary harm compared to domestic violence when a third-party does not understand. Moral harassment between married couples is a form of domestic violence. As many of the victims are female, a midwife concerned with female psychosomatic health and adjustments to family relationships has a large possibility of being involved with such victims. As there is a large possibility that people in the medical profession are involved in cases of moral harassment, with improved counseling abilities, people in the medical profession can prevent secondary harm before introducing the victim to other departments such as specialized agencies or the department of psychosomatic medicine. Therefore, at present, a 180 minute lecture concerning moral harassment is given aimed at the many midwifery students that are likely to be involved with women. The aim is to help recognize moral harassment and, as a member of the medical profession, to take steps to prevent secondary harm. So that it can be referred to in the development of future lectures, students' knowledge, before and after the lecture, was studied. As a result, despite more than half of the students having previously not heard the term 'moral harassment', after the lecture, this knowledge had been obtained. It was also felt that the necessity, as a future midwife, to understand moral harassment was recognized. With some prior study, students were, at the least, able to recognize what constituted moral harassment and to also recognize the accompanying problems. Moreover, most students recognized the mental violence seen in moral harassment as a form of domestic violence and determined that it was undoubtedly a form of violence.