NCJ Number
144901
Date Published
1992
Length
110 pages
Annotation
This study used a survey and interview methodology to obtain information on services to abused women in rural Ontario and investigated positive aspects of the rural environment that can assist in providing more effective service delivery to abused women; recommendations for improved services are offered.
Abstract
The study was conducted over a four-county area in southwestern Ontario; all four counties had a higher percentage of rural residents than the entire Ontario population. Information was obtained from rural women who had been abused by their primary partners, service providers across the four counties, and police. Data collection techniques included administration of surveys, key informant interviews with service providers, and focus group discussions with women from rural areas. The study found that abused rural women have fewer resources in the areas of educational level, income, and occupational status than the average for Canadian women. Findings also indicate that rural women stay in abusive relationships 5 to 8 years longer than women living in urban areas. In most counties, information and support services for abused women are centralized in urban areas. Eighteen recommendations for improved services are offered. Recommendations include the development of satellite offices in rural communities for services based in urban centers, the establishment of drop- in centers for information and referral within small communities, and outreach programs for rural areas. Another recommendation is that service providers receive training and access resources that enable them to better meet the needs of abused women from cultural religious minorities, women with disabilities, native women, women with low literacy levels, and elderly women. 19-item bibliography and appended survey questionnaire