Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-21-2026

Comments

This article is the author's final published version in Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 89, July–August 2026, Article number 102175.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2026.102175. Copyright © 2026 The Author(s).

Abstract

In Iran, violence against women (VAWG) remains highly prevalent, with reported rates ranging from 22.9% to 66%, underscoring the need for effective, contextually grounded interventions.   This scoping review aimed to systematically identify, map, and critically appraise intervention strategies addressing VAWG in Iran.   Guided by PRISMA-ScR and the PICOS framework, comprehensive searches were conducted across nine databases from 2000 to September 2024. Eligible studies included intervention-based research conducted in Iran that reported outcomes related to violence reduction, psychological well-being, or empowerment. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria.   The included studies demonstrated heterogeneous designs, theoretical frameworks, and outcome measures. Four interventions targeted primary prevention through educational and skills-based approaches, five addressed secondary prevention by supporting women currently experiencing violence, and four focused on tertiary prevention through long-term psychosocial or empowerment-based support. High-impact interventions reported statistically significant reductions in domestic or intimate partner violence and improvements in psychological resilience, self-efficacy, and mental health outcomes. Empowerment-, behavioral-, and psychosocial-based frameworks emerged as the most consistently practical approaches within the Iranian context.   Findings highlight the importance of culturally adapted, theory-informed, and multi-level interventions for addressing GBV in Iran. While several interventions demonstrated promising outcomes, variability in methodological rigor and limited long-term evaluation indicate the need for continued refinement and more robust research designs. This review provides an evidence base to inform policy and practice and to guide future intervention development in Iran. It offers insights relevant to other settings with similar sociocultural and structural contexts.

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Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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Language

English

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