Domestic violence in rural areas might be greater than in cities; what's sure is that help is harder to get in rural

There are no nationwide statistics on the rate of domestic violence in rural areas versus cities, but regional studies indicate women in rural areas experience domestic violence at equal or higher rates than their urban counterparts, "and those experiencing abuse in rural spaces have less access to resources, often endure more severe physical attacks and are more likely to be killed by their partner, according to a 2015 report by the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services," Elise Schmelzer reports for the Casper Star Tribune in Wyoming.

Higher poverty rates, lack of transportation and affordable housing, and lack of affordable, reliable phone or internet service are all barriers rural women may face in leaving an abusive situation and living on their own afterward, the report says. In rural areas law enforcement is farther away, there aren't many or any neighbors to hear abuse happening and intervene, and there are fewer trained counselors and shelters.

About one in three women and one in four men have been physically abused by a partner in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Common abuser tactics such as isolating their partner to gain control or controlling finances can be easier to carry out in rural areas. In her story, Schmelzer narrates the terrifying story of one such abuse survivor, and how her partner isolated her by moving them to rural Wyoming. Read more here.