According to the UK’s National Federation of Women’s Institutes (the largest voluntary organisation for women in the UK) women living in rural areas are just as likely to suffer abuse as urban women.

To find out more, the NFWI commissioned the UK’s University of Bristol to research the issue. The research is fascinating and really helps to highlight the specific problems faced by rural communities when it comes to tackling domestic abuse, for example:

• Rural women perceive that violence against women happens more in urban areas – so there is a real need to raise awareness of domestic abuse in rural communities.
• Over 70% of the women involved in the research (urban and rural women) said that violence against women is not openly discussed in their communities.
• Rural women are more likely to focus on the behaviour of female victims, rather than on the actions of perpetrators.
• The most common type of abuse is emotional abuse, minor physical violence, psychological abuse and controlling behaviour.
• Some of the women involved in the research felt that the emotional abuse they experienced was worse than physical violence because it is not as recognised and cannot be seen.
• Rural women felt that health practitioners, in particular their local doctors, had an important role to play in providing confidential and safe services for women.
• Rural women expressed concern about the confidential nature of services they received in their communities.
• Women are more likely to talk about their experiences of abuse to friends or family members, rather than to statutory or voluntary and community sector organisations.
• Some of the benefits of living in a rural community such as community support are also some of the main barriers for women experiencing domestic abuse. For example, the idea that ‘everybody knows everybody’s else’s business’.
• One of the biggest issues for rural women is how to access support services for domestic abuse, such as women’s refuges. Transport, accessibility and confidentiality (of services) were the three most important issues affecting rural women.
• Both rural and urban women involved in the research said that the services they have least access to are perpetrator programmes, Rape Crisis and women’s refuges.
• The majority of women believe that the police and social services should take the lead on tackling domestic abuse, but that it’s voluntary and community services such as Rape Crisis and women’s refuges that are doing so at the moment.

We hope this information will help rural communities to tackle domestic abuse more effectively.

For example, raising awareness of domestic abuse where you live will help to ensure the issue is openly discussed and not ‘hidden’. Plus, it will help to show people that domestic abuse isn’t just about violence, abuse can also be emotional and psychological.

To find out more:

Download: Research of domestic abuse in rural areas PDF Format

Download: Research of domestic abuse in rural areas PowerPoint Format

Thank you to Dr Melanie McCarry and Dr Emma Williamson from the University of Bristol for giving us permission to use their research.