What Works In Preventing Rural Violence PDF Download

This report details unique characteristics of rural violence and outlines 88 strategies to prevent violent behavior, improve services for victims, and reduce recidivism. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, rape, assault, and robbery rates tripled in rural communities from 1965 to 1992. Rural violence differs from urban violence in several key ways: rural victims of violence are much more likely to know their assailants than victims in urban areas; rural victims are more likely to report that the perpetrator was using alcohol as compared to urban victims; and while crime rates in rural areas are generally lower than urban or suburban areas, rural women are just as likely to experience violence at the hands of an intimate partner as their urban and suburban counterparts. Efforts that make a difference across all categories of violence include reducing drug and alcohol abuse, increasing community collaboration and education, reducing poverty, increasing the availability of health care and safe places for victims, and restricting access to firearms. The first part of the report lists strategies pertaining to physical assault, child abuse, rape and sexual assault, domestic abuse, elder abuse, suicide, and bias (hate) crimes. Strategies are categorized according to the research information available about their effectiveness. Those strategies that have been applied and studied in rural areas are specifically noted. Most strategies are followed by a reference number indicating a brief summary of the strategy in the appendix. The second part of the report includes a set of worksheets to help communities monitor violence and prevention efforts and assess the level of services available for dealing with violence. Contains 106 references. (LP)