Legal and Psychological Aspects of Abortion With Special Emphasis on Public Attitudes Toward Forced Termination of Pregnancy

Abstract

Abortion represents one of the most sensitive and contro­versial issues of modern society, which is at the intersection of a woman's right to self-determination, moral beliefs and religious norms. In this framework, the research aimed to examine the attitudes and opinions of citizens about abortion in relation to their socio-demographic characteristics, with special reference to the cultural and religious context of the region of Sandžak and the north of Montenegro. The sample included respondents who inherit a specific cultural-historical and religious identity, within which traditional and conservative values significantly shape the perception of the moral and legal aspects of abortion. The rese­arch was conducted in the territory of Novi Pazar, Sjenica, Tutin and the cities of northern Montenegro, using a questionnaire ba­sed on a five-point Likert scale. The obtained data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear regression analysis. The results show that the majo­rity of respondents have predominantly conservative attitudes towards abortion, whereby it is predominantly perceived as a morally and religiously unacceptable act, rather than as an in­dividual right of a woman. Statistically significant differences in attitudes were found in relation to gender, age and education: women and younger respondents express a more liberal appro­ach, while men, older and more religious respondents show a higher degree of moral reserve. The analysis of cultural and religious determinants confirmed the connection between reli­giosity, traditional family values and negative attitudes towards abortion. The findings are consistent with research conducted in the Turkish and Saudi contexts, where religious beliefs and so­cial stigma remain key factors in the formation of public opinion on abortion.