Breaking the silence: Improving domestic violence responses for women who experience greater marginalisation in rural and remote Australia
By: Georgia Hawkins
Tags: Rural Healthcare, Australia, Public Health, Prevention, Domestic Violence

Research Summary & Future Directions

Image credit: Kara Rosenlund (2016)

Introduction

Australia’s rural and remote communities have demonstrated ongoing strength, determination and resourcefulness despite the unique challenges and adversities associated with rural life. One significant, yet often hidden challenge faced by these communities is disproportionately high rates of domestic violence (DV) (Campo & Tayton, 2015). DV is gendered in nature and encompasses physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuse within a partner relationship (Council of Australian Governments [COAG], 2009). It results in devastating impacts upon women, their children, and the communities to which they belong (COAG, 2009). This community health issue also presents a significant economic burden to the nation. In 2004, Access Economics predicted that the annual cost associated with DV in Australian was $8.1 billion dollars.

Current literature indicates that the incidence of DV is greater in rural and remote communities compared to urban locations (Dillon, Hussain & Loxton, 2015; Wendt, Chung, Elder & Bryant, 2015). Furthermore, Indigenous women, women who have a disability and women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are at increased risk of DV and face additional barriers to accessing appropriate social, legal and health services (Tayton, Kaspiew, Moore & Campo, 2014). There is a critical need for sensitive research that gives voice to these women and allows their voices to shape future responses to DV (Sandberg, 2013; Hall — Sanchez, 2016).

Prevalence

Analysis of data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health identified that prevalence of DV was higher in regional (24.4%) and rural (26.1%) locations compared to major cities (19.6%) (Dillon et al., 2015). Similarly, the 2016 ABS Personal Safety Survey identified that 21% of rural and remote living women had experienced DV since the age of 15 compared to 15% of women living in urban areas (AIHW, 2019).

Barriers to support

There are a range of barriers that exacerbate rates of DV and inhibit help-seeking behaviours among women in rural and remote communities. These include geographical isolation and the associated lack of immediate support networks (Tayton et al., 2014). Women may struggle to escape an abusive home environment due to a lack of alternative accommodation in close proximity and limited transport availability (Ragusa, 2017). The Women’s Services Network (2000) reported that rural and remote-living women are at a greater risk of DV and homicide due to heightened familial stress associated with rural life (e.g. drought), higher rates of alcohol consumption and the possession of firearms. Women also have fewer educational and employment opportunities, which results in greater economic dependence on their partner and reduced likelihood of leaving an abusive relationship (Tayton et al., 2014). Ragusa (2017) and Owen and Carrington (2015) identified that help-seeking behaviours are inhibited by stigma, shame and a lack of anonymity within the community. Experiences of stigma and shame can be linked to Tayton et al. (2014), Wendt (2009) and Campo and Tayton’s (2015) insight into the masculine, patriarchal culture present in rural communities, as well as the influence of conservative family norms, traditional marriage values, religion and the importance of family privacy. These social and cultural factors continue to shape women’s lives and their experiences of DV in these communities.

Current challenges

The literature discusses several challenges associated with translating evidence into practice when seeking to improve DV service responses. According to Ragusa (2017), DV survivors favour informal support from family and friends, which reflects the current inadequacy of health, social and legal services. These services are typically under-resourced and fail to provide coordinated care for victims, often resulting in a “narrowed … crisis-orientated” response (Wendt et al., 2017; The Women’s Services Network, 2000). Inadequate resourcing limits investment in workforce training and the ability to enhance the capacity of service provision (Wendt et al., 2015; Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre, 2015).

DV within minority groups

There is currently limited research that considers the intersection of social factors (including gender, disability and culture) and explores DV service provision among minority groups of women living in rural and remote communities (Tayton et al., 2014). Wendt et al. (2015) argue that a feminist intersectional approach is necessary to move away from homogenous DV service provision, and to address the needs of women experiencing greater marginalisation. Rural and remote locations can no longer be perceived purely as geographical areas. They are social and cultural places with deeply held ideologies that must be sensitively understood and challenged using appropriate, qualitative methods (Hall-Sanchez, 2016; Sandberg, 2013).

Looking to the future

Moving forwards, researchers must continue to investigate how rural and remote service providers can effectively shift from the current ‘crisis response’ to provide more sustainable, and appropriate models of care for groups of women who experience greater marginalisation. Future research should further explore the challenges that DV service providers face in delivering long term, culturally appropriate models of care in rural and remote communities (Hall — Sanchez, 2016; Tayton et al., 2014). It should also seek to contribute to a deeper understanding of how the intersectionality of social and cultural factors amplifies experiences of marginalisation and inequity for these groups of women (Sandberg, 2013; Hall — Sanchez, 2016). Importantly, this type of research can have significant policy implications including the development of recommendations for best practice DV service provision in rural and remote communities and can be used to advocate for increased funding to address DV in these areas. The knowledge gained can assist with the development of resources for service providers to ensure that they deliver responses that “attend to the multidimensionality of women experiencing violence” (Hall-Sanchez, 2016) and contribute to achieving a lasting reduction in rates of DV against women.

References and sources for further reading

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Council of Australian Governments. (2009). National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010–2022. Retrieved from the Department of Social Services website https://www.dss.gov.au/women/programs-services/reducing-violence/the-national-plan-to-reduce-violence-against-women-and-their-children-2010-2022

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