Rural Domestic Abuse Victims More Reluctant To Seek Help
Domestic abuse in close-knit rural communities can last 25% longer than in urban areas. Research by the National Rural Crime Network showed victims stay longer with abusive partners, on average three years before seeking help compared to 2.6 years in urban areas.
Victims can suffer from isolation, traditional patriarchal views and often do not receive the support they require. It is further reported that it is more difficult to access support services in the countryside, which often has poor transport, and that abusers are drawn to rural areas so that they can keep their victim isolated.
The Report also stated that “physical isolation is arguably the best weapon an abuser has and has a profound impact on making the victim feel quite literally captive”. Isolation can trap women anywhere, but, in rural areas the social isolation can be compounded by geographical isolation and the perpetrator can be protected by the “countryside culture”, whilst the victims are being failed by authorities. If your neighbours have known you their whole lives, they simply may not suspect you could be capable of domestic violence. Women can feel very vulnerable seeking support from her neighbours, the local police, or her family doctor where she may become the subject of local gossip. This patriarchal attitude can make women more vulnerable, subject to control and prevented from seeking the support and help they urgently need. There may be an assumption that domestic violence is an inner-city problem, confined to lower socio-economic or ethnic minority groups, however, it can affect anyone no matter what their background or privilege.
Further, National Rural Crime Network chairwoman Julia Mulligan described domestic abuse as “the hidden underbelly of rural communities”. She said:
“We have uncovered a deeply hidden and disturbing side to rural life. Far from the peaceful idyll most people have in their mind when conjuring up the countryside, this report bares the souls and scars of domestic abuse victims, who all too often are lost to support, policing and criminal justice services”.
Researchers also made inquiries in relation to policing, decreasing resources and cuts to public services. It found that the availability of public services in rural areas is on the decline and the policing response is inadequate which limits the support and escape route for victims. Furthermore, they found that there are fewer and less effective support services in rural areas even if victims do attempt to seek help.
Therefore, in addition to good quality policing and support services, rural communities can benefit from a broad awareness of domestic violence issues, and a sensitivity to the power dynamics behind it. That help could be from neighbours who can recognise the symptoms of domestic violence, and further, believing women who report violent or controlling behaviour.
