Rural women are at a higher risk of violence − and less likely to get help

Rural areas have higher rates of violence against women than suburban and urban places. pocketlight/E+ via Getty Images

I have been teaching a course on rural criminology since 2014, and most of my students are surprised by the information on violence against women presented to them.

Due to the lack of media attention to rural areas, my students come to class with the impression that all countrysides and small towns are safer than urban and suburban locales. In reality, rates of violent crime are often higher in many rural communities, and at times there’s even more silence around it.