Analysis: Rural women are more likely to face domestic violence or be killed by an intimate partner

Physical and social isolation can keep abused women from 
asking for help. (Getty Images photo via Conversaiton CC)

Not only are rural women more likely to face violence or be killed by a partner, they also face fewer intervention options and stigmas that discourage them from asking for help. Regional acceptance of violence against women, social and physical isolation, and gun ownership can all be contributing factors.

"I analyzed aggregate 1992 to 2005 National Crime Victimization Survey data, and this data conclusively shows that rural women across the U.S. report physical and sexual violence at higher rates than those in more densely populated areas," explains rural violence expert Walter S. DeKeseredy for The Conversation.

While many people may think rural living is safer, for many women, it's often the opposite. "Rural women in the U.S. are more likely to be killed by their current or former male partners compared to their urban and suburban counterparts," DeKeseredy writes. "A study looking at data from 2005 to 2017 across 16 states, for example, found that female homicide rates are higher in rural places."

Why rural women are more at risk for violence is a complex mix of shared misogyny, fewer witnesses, higher gun ownership rates and social stigmas. DeKeseredy writes, "In rural sections of Ohio and other states, as my research uncovered, there is common acceptance of abuse of women. In many rural areas, community norms often prohibit survivors from publicly talking about their experiences and from seeking help."

Gun ownership is more common in rural places, but it has been correlated to "intimate partner violence in rural parts of the U.S.," DeKeseredy explains. "Moreover, firearms are used in 54% of all rural domestic homicides. . . .Gun ownership can create safety concerns for social workers, many of whom work alone."

So far, efforts to prevent violence against rural women has been focused on gun control or firearm background checks. And rural libraries "have proven to be a vital resource in the struggle to end interpersonal forms of abuse of women," DeKeseredy writes. "They are more accessible in many U.S. rural communities than are shelters, public transportation and other services."