Unique Challenges in Risk Assessment with Rural Domestic Violence Victims: Implications for Practice
Abstract
Through interviews with violence against women (VAW) workers (n=14), the present study examined workers’ perspectives of risk factors and the challenges in assessing risk for women experiencing domestic violence (DV) in rural locations. The present study also examined what promising practices VAW workers are utilizing when working with women experiencing DV in rural locations. Qualitative analysis indicated several risk factors including the location (i.e., geographic isolation, lack of transportation, and lack of community resources) and cultural factors (i.e., accepted and more available use of firearms, poverty, and no privacy/anonymity). Moreover, qualitative analyses indicated several challenges for VAW workers assessing risk including barriers at the systemic (i.e., lack of agreement between services), organizational (i.e., lack of collaboration and risk assessment being underutilized/valued), and individual (i.e., complexity of issues) levels. The findings support other research in the field that highlight the increased vulnerability of women experiencing DV in rural locations and the added barriers and complexities in assessing risk for this population. However, participants outlined promising practices being implemented for rural locations such as interagency collaboration, education, growing awareness, and outreach programs. Implications for future research and practice include further examination of the identified promising practices, a continued focus on collaborative approaches, and innovative ways to prevent and manage risk in rural locations.