Kharazmi University Social Problems of Iran 6933-2476 17 2 2026 07 23 A Meta-Synthesis of the Harms of Excessive Use of Virtual Space and Social Networks A Meta-Synthesis of the Harms of Excessive Use of Virtual Space and Social Networks 9 52 11091 10.22034/jspi.2026.11091 FA Abazar Ashtari Mehrjardi Assistant Professor, Department of Science and Technology Studies, Institute for Social and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2025 09 23 AbstractNetworks and virtual spaces have today become indispensable tools for social interaction and citizen activities in Iran, and excessive use of them has been accompanied by rising harms and problems in Iranian society. Accordingly, the primary aim of this study is to identify the harms and issues associated with excessive use of networks and virtual spaces using a qualitative meta-synthesis approach. The study adopts an inductive qualitative meta-synthesis method for the period 2010–2024 (1389–1403 in the Iranian calendar). A non-probabilistic (intentional) sampling strategy was employed from 145 research documents; 69 research samples were selected based on entry criteria (presence of independent variables, validity and reliability of the study, publication in a reputable scientific journal, and findings derived from field research). The scientific sources include Nor-MGz (Noormeg), Magh Iran, IranDoc, and the Jihad Daneshgahi (Academic Centre for Education, Culture and Research) scientific database. Overall analysis of studies within the 2010–2024 timeframe indicates that excessive use of networks and virtual spaces leads to four categories of problems in Iranian society: 1) social problems (virtual differential association, diminished social control, weakened social cohesion and social bonds, reduced social participation, diminished salience of social support, suspicion and social mistrust, increased social deviance, promotion of deviance and family harms), 2) cultural problems (widespread unethical behavior and deviance, erosion of the Iranian-Islamic lifestyle, educational crisis and declining academic quality, media deviance, promotion of venomous leisure time, diminished family values, risky sexual behavior, reduced religious values, intergenerational gaps and conflict), 3) economic problems (heightened financial-economic problems, reduced job performance and productivity, emergence of crime and financial offenses, intensified consumerism and family extravagance), and 4) psychological problems (verbal violence, crisis of identity and unreal personality, learned aggression, isolation and withdrawal, sense of emptiness and deficiency, and emotional-insecurity). AbstractNetworks and virtual spaces have today become indispensable tools for social interaction and citizen activities in Iran, and excessive use of them has been accompanied by rising harms and problems in Iranian society. Accordingly, the primary aim of this study is to identify the harms and issues associated with excessive use of networks and virtual spaces using a qualitative meta-synthesis approach. The study adopts an inductive qualitative meta-synthesis method for the period 2010–2024 (1389–1403 in the Iranian calendar). A non-probabilistic (intentional) sampling strategy was employed from 145 research documents; 69 research samples were selected based on entry criteria (presence of independent variables, validity and reliability of the study, publication in a reputable scientific journal, and findings derived from field research). The scientific sources include Nor-MGz (Noormeg), Magh Iran, IranDoc, and the Jihad Daneshgahi (Academic Centre for Education, Culture and Research) scientific database. Overall analysis of studies within the 2010–2024 timeframe indicates that excessive use of networks and virtual spaces leads to four categories of problems in Iranian society: 1) social problems (virtual differential association, diminished social control, weakened social cohesion and social bonds, reduced social participation, diminished salience of social support, suspicion and social mistrust, increased social deviance, promotion of deviance and family harms), 2) cultural problems (widespread unethical behavior and deviance, erosion of the Iranian-Islamic lifestyle, educational crisis and declining academic quality, media deviance, promotion of venomous leisure time, diminished family values, risky sexual behavior, reduced religious values, intergenerational gaps and conflict), 3) economic problems (heightened financial-economic problems, reduced job performance and productivity, emergence of crime and financial offenses, intensified consumerism and family extravagance), and 4) psychological problems (verbal violence, crisis of identity and unreal personality, learned aggression, isolation and withdrawal, sense of emptiness and deficiency, and emotional-insecurity). https://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article_11091_f508afaa848fefb2033d262ad7237a5c.pdf

Kharazmi University Social Problems of Iran 6933-2476 17 2 2026 07 23 Living on the Edge of Suspension: A Phenomenological Study of Street and Working Children in Yasouj City Living on the Edge of Suspension: A Phenomenological Study of Street and Working Children in Yasouj City 53 88 8328 10.22034/jspi.2026.8328 FA Mostafa Amini PhD Student in Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Human Sciences, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran 0009-0009-0160-335X Siroos Ahmadi Professor of Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Human Sciences, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran Journal Article 2026 03 05 Millions of children worldwide engage in street labor instead of attending school, with a significant number involved in hazardous occupations. This complexity highlights the importance of understanding children’s lived experiences within specific social contexts. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of working children in the socio-cultural setting of Yasouj, to gain insight into their inner worlds and challenges. The study utilized a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method. Ten working children were selected as participants through purposive sampling. Data were collected through via in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s technique. Analysis revealed five core themes: 1) Autonomy and competence: the struggle to achieve independence and protect oneself from humiliation. 2) Occupational vulnerability and hardship: enduring physical risks, traffic accidents, and street violence. 3) Social stigma and public hostility: facing cultural exclusion, labeling, and dehumanizing perceptions. 4) Dialectic of work and family: taking on breadwinner or caregiver responsibilities due to poverty, illness, or unstable parental structures. 5) Aspirations and hope for advancement: using material and educational dreams as coping mechanisms for resilience and finding meaning in everyday struggles. The fundamental structure of these children’s lived experiences reflects a state of marginal suspension, where they are caught between family obligations and the desire for autonomy. These children simultaneously are both victims and agents; as structural constraints push them into street while they actively strive to maintain their dignity through street smartness and hope for a better future. Millions of children worldwide engage in street labor instead of attending school, with a significant number involved in hazardous occupations. This complexity highlights the importance of understanding children’s lived experiences within specific social contexts. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of working children in the socio-cultural setting of Yasouj, to gain insight into their inner worlds and challenges. The study utilized a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method. Ten working children were selected as participants through purposive sampling. Data were collected through via in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s technique. Analysis revealed five core themes: 1) Autonomy and competence: the struggle to achieve independence and protect oneself from humiliation. 2) Occupational vulnerability and hardship: enduring physical risks, traffic accidents, and street violence. 3) Social stigma and public hostility: facing cultural exclusion, labeling, and dehumanizing perceptions. 4) Dialectic of work and family: taking on breadwinner or caregiver responsibilities due to poverty, illness, or unstable parental structures. 5) Aspirations and hope for advancement: using material and educational dreams as coping mechanisms for resilience and finding meaning in everyday struggles. The fundamental structure of these children’s lived experiences reflects a state of marginal suspension, where they are caught between family obligations and the desire for autonomy. These children simultaneously are both victims and agents; as structural constraints push them into street while they actively strive to maintain their dignity through street smartness and hope for a better future. https://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article_8328_aff53752790c8c5348954c335c5ad682.pdf

Kharazmi University Social Problems of Iran 6933-2476 17 2 2026 07 23 From Problematization to Governmentality: A Critical Re-reading of the Academic Literature on Ethnicity in Iran From Problematization to Governmentality: A Critical Re-reading of the Academic Literature on Ethnicity in Iran 89 128 11702 10.22034/jspi.2026.11702 FA Pezhman Barkhordari PhD Student in Sociology, Social Problems of Iran, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran Reza Safari Shali Associate Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0003-3095-0819 Karam Habibpour Gatabi Associate Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-5691-8641 Arash Heydari Assistant Professor of Sociology, Department of Cultural Studies, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2026 05 23 Over the past two decades, the academic literature on ethnicity in Iran has become a major field of inquiry across sociology, political science, history, and cultural studies. Despite this growing body of scholarship, little attention has been paid to the literature itself as an object of critical inquiry or to how ethnicity has been constituted as an object of knowledge within Iranian academic literature. Adopting a critical paradigm, this study employs a critical qualitative literature review to examine 52 Persian-language scholarly articles on ethnicity published between 2001 and 2025. The analysis draws on Michel Foucault’s conceptual framework, as developed through Mitchell Dean’s interpretation, and is organized around three analytical dimensions: problematization, governmentality, and the history of the present. The findings show that, most studies operate within a shared regime of problematization in which ethnicity is primarily understood through the lenses of national security, development, national cohesion, and the management of social difference. Furthermore, the literature mobilizes security, developmental, and integrative governmental rationalities and employs technologies of knowledge—including identity measurement, population classification, and policy-oriented analysis—to transform ethnicity into an object of knowledge, regulation, and intervention. Although many studies draw upon historical materials, they largely remain confined within a presentist horizon and pay limited attention to the historical conditions that made ethnicity possible as a category of knowledge and governance. The article argues that the Iranian academic literature on ethnicity is not merely a reflection of ethnic realities but also an active participant in producing and stabilizing regimes of knowledge and governmentality surrounding ethnicity. Over the past two decades, the academic literature on ethnicity in Iran has become a major field of inquiry across sociology, political science, history, and cultural studies. Despite this growing body of scholarship, little attention has been paid to the literature itself as an object of critical inquiry or to how ethnicity has been constituted as an object of knowledge within Iranian academic literature. Adopting a critical paradigm, this study employs a critical qualitative literature review to examine 52 Persian-language scholarly articles on ethnicity published between 2001 and 2025. The analysis draws on Michel Foucault’s conceptual framework, as developed through Mitchell Dean’s interpretation, and is organized around three analytical dimensions: problematization, governmentality, and the history of the present. The findings show that, most studies operate within a shared regime of problematization in which ethnicity is primarily understood through the lenses of national security, development, national cohesion, and the management of social difference. Furthermore, the literature mobilizes security, developmental, and integrative governmental rationalities and employs technologies of knowledge—including identity measurement, population classification, and policy-oriented analysis—to transform ethnicity into an object of knowledge, regulation, and intervention. Although many studies draw upon historical materials, they largely remain confined within a presentist horizon and pay limited attention to the historical conditions that made ethnicity possible as a category of knowledge and governance. The article argues that the Iranian academic literature on ethnicity is not merely a reflection of ethnic realities but also an active participant in producing and stabilizing regimes of knowledge and governmentality surrounding ethnicity. https://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article_11702_239786e7cc274460b889c47f6dcdc2f3.pdf

Kharazmi University Social Problems of Iran 6933-2476 17 2 2026 07 23 Life as Destiny and Politics in the Role of Lifestyle: A Narrative Analysis of Youths' Experiences of Living in the City of Sanandaj Life as Destiny and Politics in the Role of Lifestyle: A Narrative Analysis of Youths' Experiences of Living in the City of Sanandaj 129 169 11090 10.22034/jspi.2026.11090 FA Kamal Khaleghpanah Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran Afshin Binandeh PhD student in Sociology of Social Problems in Iran, Faculty of Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran 0009-0007-6445-8976 Journal Article 2025 08 02 The acceleration of globalization and the expansion of communication methods have provided youths with the possibility to choose new forms of life. This article aims to explore the life choices and life politics of youths, their narratives of personal and collective constraints and limitations, as well as their ways of coping with their bodily rights, pleasures, and difficulties. It examines how, within the hegemonic space of Iranian society, moral and value principles in individual and collective life encounter contradictions, choices, and value-based dilemmas. The central issue of this study is the life choices, decision-making processes, moral principles, and values of youths. The research is framed within Anthony Giddens’ theory of life politics and employs a qualitative narrative interview method with a purposive sample of 24 youths from the city of Sanandaj. The findings were analyzed using thematic analysis, resulting in five main themes: life as destiny, external pressure and internal dreams, absence of a private sphere and its mental desire, the dilemma of moral and value conflicts, and lifestyle as a guideline. The results indicate a dissonance between values and contextual conditions. These changes and transformations often remain subjective and face structural political, economic, and social blockages in objective and concrete terms. Therefore, contrary to Giddens’ theory, in the Iranian context, life politics is understood as resilience and the ability to live within the gap between objective pressures and subjective expectations, enduring these pressures. The acceleration of globalization and the expansion of communication methods have provided youths with the possibility to choose new forms of life. This article aims to explore the life choices and life politics of youths, their narratives of personal and collective constraints and limitations, as well as their ways of coping with their bodily rights, pleasures, and difficulties. It examines how, within the hegemonic space of Iranian society, moral and value principles in individual and collective life encounter contradictions, choices, and value-based dilemmas. The central issue of this study is the life choices, decision-making processes, moral principles, and values of youths. The research is framed within Anthony Giddens’ theory of life politics and employs a qualitative narrative interview method with a purposive sample of 24 youths from the city of Sanandaj. The findings were analyzed using thematic analysis, resulting in five main themes: life as destiny, external pressure and internal dreams, absence of a private sphere and its mental desire, the dilemma of moral and value conflicts, and lifestyle as a guideline. The results indicate a dissonance between values and contextual conditions. These changes and transformations often remain subjective and face structural political, economic, and social blockages in objective and concrete terms. Therefore, contrary to Giddens’ theory, in the Iranian context, life politics is understood as resilience and the ability to live within the gap between objective pressures and subjective expectations, enduring these pressures. https://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article_11090_5839ddf15d7eafa3befa98544d2c1e9d.pdf

Kharazmi University Social Problems of Iran 6933-2476 17 2 2026 07 23 A Qualitative Exploration of Singleness in Iran: A Reflective Choice within Structural Constraints A Qualitative Exploration of Singleness in Iran: A Reflective Choice within Structural Constraints 171 211 8329 10.22034/jspi.2026.8329 FA Ayoub Sakhaei Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran Journal Article 2026 02 25 AbstractMarriage is one of the most fundamental stages of human life and a cornerstone of social reproduction. However, the postponement of marriage and the rising prevalence of singleness—particularly among adults—have become significant social concerns. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of single adult men and women and to analyze the relationship between individual choice and structural constraints. Adopting a qualitative approach and employing grounded theory methodology, the study was conducted among 28 single men and women aged over 35 residing in Tehran. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that singleness is shaped through the interaction of economic and cultural pressures, changing individual values and attitudes, experiences of unsuccessful romantic relationships, and socio-cultural norms. The core category of the study is identified as “singleness as a reflective choice within structural constraints.” The results suggest that individuals, through rational assessment of structural limitations and the exercise of personal agency, choose singleness as a logical and low-risk life strategy. This study demonstrates that a meaningful understanding of singleness requires situating it within the dynamic interaction between individual choice and socio-cultural conditions. AbstractMarriage is one of the most fundamental stages of human life and a cornerstone of social reproduction. However, the postponement of marriage and the rising prevalence of singleness—particularly among adults—have become significant social concerns. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of single adult men and women and to analyze the relationship between individual choice and structural constraints. Adopting a qualitative approach and employing grounded theory methodology, the study was conducted among 28 single men and women aged over 35 residing in Tehran. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that singleness is shaped through the interaction of economic and cultural pressures, changing individual values and attitudes, experiences of unsuccessful romantic relationships, and socio-cultural norms. The core category of the study is identified as “singleness as a reflective choice within structural constraints.” The results suggest that individuals, through rational assessment of structural limitations and the exercise of personal agency, choose singleness as a logical and low-risk life strategy. This study demonstrates that a meaningful understanding of singleness requires situating it within the dynamic interaction between individual choice and socio-cultural conditions. https://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article_8329_3eb65004054f5d21fca4087f5658c727.pdf

Kharazmi University Social Problems of Iran 6933-2476 17 2 2026 07 23 Divorce: A Bitter Experience of Deprivation and Separation or a Window Toward Liberation? An Analysis of the Lived Experiences of Divorced Women in Rasht Divorce: A Bitter Experience of Deprivation and Separation or a Window Toward Liberation? An Analysis of the Lived Experiences of Divorced Women in Rasht 213 259 11092 10.22034/jspi.2026.11092 FA Nasrin Mohammadzadeh M.A. in Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran Rea Masoumirad Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran Hoda Hallajadeh Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran 0000-0002-3182-5836 Journal Article 2026 02 05 Divorce has always been considered as a social problem, while with the emergence of new forms of family ties and ruptures, as well as its increasing trend, it requires a new attention and understanding based on the direct experience of divorced women. This study was conducted to examine the lived experiences of divorced women in Rasht in identifying the underlying conditions, reasons, and dealing with the consequences of divorce. The study was conducted with a qualitative approach and based on grounded theory. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 20 divorced women and continued using purposive sampling and snowball method until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data analysis was conducted based on open, axial and selective coding. Findings showed that background conditions such as cultural differences, economic weakness, low age of marriage and insufficient knowledge before marriage provided the basis for marital conflicts, while experience of domestic violence, addiction, sexual problems and infidelity and family interference played a role in intensifying the divorce process. However, it was found that the acceptance of divorce and its easier passage are the result of a combination of changing social attitudes and new approaches to life and maintaining individual independence. These factors lead to a reduction in the social stigma of divorce and an increase in its acceptance in society, and allow women, especially working women without children, to view divorce as an opportunity for independence and a redefinition of life and an experience of freedom from traditional constraints in family matters. Divorce has always been considered as a social problem, while with the emergence of new forms of family ties and ruptures, as well as its increasing trend, it requires a new attention and understanding based on the direct experience of divorced women. This study was conducted to examine the lived experiences of divorced women in Rasht in identifying the underlying conditions, reasons, and dealing with the consequences of divorce. The study was conducted with a qualitative approach and based on grounded theory. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 20 divorced women and continued using purposive sampling and snowball method until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data analysis was conducted based on open, axial and selective coding. Findings showed that background conditions such as cultural differences, economic weakness, low age of marriage and insufficient knowledge before marriage provided the basis for marital conflicts, while experience of domestic violence, addiction, sexual problems and infidelity and family interference played a role in intensifying the divorce process. However, it was found that the acceptance of divorce and its easier passage are the result of a combination of changing social attitudes and new approaches to life and maintaining individual independence. These factors lead to a reduction in the social stigma of divorce and an increase in its acceptance in society, and allow women, especially working women without children, to view divorce as an opportunity for independence and a redefinition of life and an experience of freedom from traditional constraints in family matters. https://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article_11092_6605cf6f932aa6510d637af51c820a6a.pdf

Kharazmi University Social Problems of Iran 6933-2476 17 2 2026 07 23 Tattooing as a Practice of Re-Meaning the Body Tattooing as a Practice of Re-Meaning the Body 261 305 11113 10.22034/jspi.2026.11113 FA Reyhaneh Najjaran Bachelor in Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities , Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran 0009-0000-9754-6066 Toktam Namayandeh Joorabchi Post-Doctoral, Faculty of Education, The National University of Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia 0000-0001-6236-9573 Journal Article 2026 02 26 Within the framework of the sociology of the body, tattoos represent a distinctive manifestation of the interaction between the individual and society. The main objective of this study is to understand the experiences, attitudes, and motivations of women and men in relation to tattooing. This research adopts a qualitative methodology and is grounded in the grounded theory approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 27 women and 25 men in Mashhad who had tattoos on their bodies. The findings indicate that tattooing emerges within a complex, multidimensional social process. The causal conditions include the gendered representation of pain and hope on the body, the influence of close reference groups, gendered identification with media tattoo models, aesthetic perceptions of the body, and the desire to escape everyday monotony. Gendered binaries in initial encounters with tattoos, intergenerational and network-based transmission of tattooing, and the redefinition of the social status of tattoos function as contextual conditions influencing tattoo practices. In addition, gendered patterns in occupational policies, gendered choices regarding tattoo visibility, and gender differences in tattoo placement emerged as intervening conditions in this process. Ultimately, tattooing led to outcomes such as the expansion of social ties, pleasure and satisfaction with the body, reconstruction of body image, increased self-confidence, the continuity of tattooing practices, and encounters with social and institutional constraints. Overall, the core category of the study was “re-meaning the body,” suggesting that for participants, tattooing is not merely an aesthetic modification but a social practice through which the body, identity, and lived experience are redefined within the context of contemporary Iranian society. Within the framework of the sociology of the body, tattoos represent a distinctive manifestation of the interaction between the individual and society. The main objective of this study is to understand the experiences, attitudes, and motivations of women and men in relation to tattooing. This research adopts a qualitative methodology and is grounded in the grounded theory approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 27 women and 25 men in Mashhad who had tattoos on their bodies. The findings indicate that tattooing emerges within a complex, multidimensional social process. The causal conditions include the gendered representation of pain and hope on the body, the influence of close reference groups, gendered identification with media tattoo models, aesthetic perceptions of the body, and the desire to escape everyday monotony. Gendered binaries in initial encounters with tattoos, intergenerational and network-based transmission of tattooing, and the redefinition of the social status of tattoos function as contextual conditions influencing tattoo practices. In addition, gendered patterns in occupational policies, gendered choices regarding tattoo visibility, and gender differences in tattoo placement emerged as intervening conditions in this process. Ultimately, tattooing led to outcomes such as the expansion of social ties, pleasure and satisfaction with the body, reconstruction of body image, increased self-confidence, the continuity of tattooing practices, and encounters with social and institutional constraints. Overall, the core category of the study was “re-meaning the body,” suggesting that for participants, tattooing is not merely an aesthetic modification but a social practice through which the body, identity, and lived experience are redefined within the context of contemporary Iranian society. https://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article_11113_4b009c2f8e8d230c498c2db26678dd77.pdf

Kharazmi University Social Problems of Iran 6933-2476 17 2 2026 07 23 Drug Addiction Compulsory Treatment Policy in Iran: The Collection-Release Dichotomy) Case Study: Social Services of Article 16 Centers under the Anti-Narcotics Law) Drug Addiction Compulsory Treatment Policy in Iran: The Collection-Release Dichotomy) Case Study: Social Services of Article 16 Centers under the Anti-Narcotics Law) 307 342 11089 10.22034/jspi.2026.11089 FA Saman Yousefvand Assistant Professor, Department of Cultural–Social Governance, Faculty of Governance, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran 0009-0000-1765-6581 Morteza Ganji PhD in Cultural Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran Reza Ganji M.A. Student in Social Sciences Research, Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, Tehran, iran 0009-0008-4528-7523 Journal Article 2026 01 06 Drug addiction in contemporary Iran is one of the most critical social harms. Over the past four decades, the governing system has undertaken numerous measures in the form of legislation, institutional structuring, and budget allocation to control and reduce it. However, the challenges in this field have become increasingly complex and intensified. This study aims to examine and identify the challenges and barriers to the success of Article 16 centers, established under the 2010 Anti-Narcotics Law, in providing compulsory treatment for publicly visible drug users. Employing a qualitative research methodology, the study utilizes thematic analysis and data collection tools including 15 semi-structured interviews and three focus group discussions. In the initial coding stage, 89 primary codes were extracted, which were later grouped into 15 themes. Ultimately, the core category identified was "instability and incompleteness of the treatment cycle," which reflects the underlying dichotomy of "collection and release" in the treatment process of publicly visible drug users. The study concludes that addiction treatment policy in Iran is imbalanced and overly focused on compulsory treatment. This is despite the fact that the processes of collection, screening, treatment, rehabilitation, and aftercare are fraught with various procedural, institutional-structural, and strategic challenges. These findings highlight the unstable and incomplete nature of the treatment cycle in compulsory treatment centers. Drug addiction in contemporary Iran is one of the most critical social harms. Over the past four decades, the governing system has undertaken numerous measures in the form of legislation, institutional structuring, and budget allocation to control and reduce it. However, the challenges in this field have become increasingly complex and intensified. This study aims to examine and identify the challenges and barriers to the success of Article 16 centers, established under the 2010 Anti-Narcotics Law, in providing compulsory treatment for publicly visible drug users. Employing a qualitative research methodology, the study utilizes thematic analysis and data collection tools including 15 semi-structured interviews and three focus group discussions. In the initial coding stage, 89 primary codes were extracted, which were later grouped into 15 themes. Ultimately, the core category identified was "instability and incompleteness of the treatment cycle," which reflects the underlying dichotomy of "collection and release" in the treatment process of publicly visible drug users. The study concludes that addiction treatment policy in Iran is imbalanced and overly focused on compulsory treatment. This is despite the fact that the processes of collection, screening, treatment, rehabilitation, and aftercare are fraught with various procedural, institutional-structural, and strategic challenges. These findings highlight the unstable and incomplete nature of the treatment cycle in compulsory treatment centers. https://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article_11089_087bc7552322045ad94868390dce5b37.pdf