Gelisim News

Posters prepared by Küçükçekmece Municipality was hanged posters about violence and murders against women on the billboards at different points of the county days ago. The posters include the words such as "my grandfather killed my mother, my fiancé killed me, my son killed my daughter, my husband killed my daughter, my son killed me, my ex-husband killed me, my father killed my mother". Citizens reacted to the expressions in the posters on the main streets, streets and billboards in front of the schools. Parents are uneasy and state that they cannot explain the situation children see the poster.

Nurcan Beder taking her child to school, reacted to the statements in the posters. Beder said: “I was just picking up some buns for my kid last day. My daughter suddenly screamed. 'What happened?' I asked. “Mom, it says ‘my fiancé killed me’”, she replied. It is horrible in front of children. Of course everyone is against that. Why are women killed? However, it is ridiculous they are in front of the kids. They need to be moved to different places.”

Perihan Yürekdinç said: “My kid's in 4th grade. He can read them. He asks me these when he reads them. Phrases such as ‘My husband killed me, my father killed me’ are difficult to express. When they try to give a social message, they affect children in a bad way. My child asked, but I slid over. He asked me what do they mean saying 'My husband killed, my father killed'. How can I explain that? I couldn't explain it because it was hard.”

Murat Urcan, a resident in Küçükçekmece explained the situation as follows: “They must find another way. My children asked me why they wrote that. I couldn’t answer. How can I explain this? He asked me why they were killed and what did they react. My kid’s psychology is badly affected for sure.”

Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sevcan Karakoç Demirkaya, a faculty member of Istanbul Gelisim University, stated that children's mental health is affected negatively from such posters, and continued as follows:

“It is not appropriate for children to encounter such posters in public places as it would create a thought for children about a possible danger and violence from anywhere. Children's mental health is negatively affected by such posters. Because children trust their family and their immediate surroundings who give their first care the most. The fact that they know that such a threat will come from anywhere, especially from the immediate environment, and that such a perception of threat has been created has a negative effect on the formation of the basic sense of trust in children's view of life.”

Stating that in fact, these posters were made by trying to raise awareness against social violence, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sevcan Karakoç Demirkaya said: “The places they hung or the words they chose are not quite proper. While we tell the children these, we can say life is not all about lavender and roses. Violence or bad events can come from anywhere at any time. We can take the sting out of this and explain for children. At least we can guarantee for our children that the child will not be like this, that as their parents we will always love, protect and never do such a thing. That's how families must approach. If they encounter such billboards, the expressions like ‘This may have happened to some mothers, but it will not happen to me, I will always protect you, I will be with you no matter what’ can be said on behalf of taking the sting out of this.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sevcan Karakoç Demirkaya called for institutions engaged in such studies. Karakoç said: “There are mental health professionals working in the municipalities, foreseeing how the society can react to mental health. They can produce such a responsibility project in consultation with these people according to the children's developmental period. Banners appropriate to the target audience can be posted by conducting analysis on the interlocutor of the responsibility project or a ground analysis.”