Research on domestic abuse in rural environments, primarily from countries like America, Canada, and Australia, reveals challenges related to the physical conditions of rural environments, as well as the cultural context that creates barriers for both survivors and practitioners working in these areas. Similar findings appear in research conducted in England; however, the volume of research is far less. This is where this research contributes knowledge of domestic abuse in rural settings, responses to it and the challenges faced in addressing the needs of survivors. Fourteen semi-structured interviews with domestic abuse professionals primarily from the Midlands and the South of England were conducted.

This research argues that it is the interaction between gender inequality, material practices and discursive processes that creates the specific challenges that victim-survivors living in rural areas face. Four themes were generated, informed by Keith Halfacree’s threefold architecture of rural space in tandem with the theory of intersectionality: rural isolation, the (in)visibility of victim-survivors, rural heterogeneity and responding to the rural. The research positions the regional context as an important mediator of the experience of domestic abuse and responses to it. The research will also consider potential policy applications and avenues of future research.

Paige is a third-year PhD student in Criminology at the University of Winchester. She has a background in both front-line practice and research in the domestic abuse sector in the UK.

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