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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Abuse and violence

Children's Advocacy Centers: Literature Review: A Product of the Model Programs Guide
A literature review discussing the history of children's advocacy centers (CACs), characteristics of CACs and their services, characteristics of children using CACs, and their effectiveness. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
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Exposure to Firearm Injury and Suicide in a Rural Pennsylvania County: Implications for Mental and Behavioral Health
Presents a study exploring the relationship gun violence exposure and behavioral health indicators among a rural population. Bases findings on a survey of 630 residents of a rural county in Pennsylvania. Breaks down data by behavioral health indicator, level of exposure, and demographic information, such as age, sex, and economic situation, among other measures.
Author(s): Richard Stansfield, Daniel C. Semenza, Devon Ziminski
Citation: Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 48(1), 188-198
Date: 02/2025
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Assessing the Needs of Rural Families Affected by the Opioid Crisis: Issue Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Explores the considerations for addressing social determinants of health that influence opioid use disorder (OUD) and the role of community efforts in prevention, treatment, and recovery in rural areas, with a focus on prevention efforts in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Discusses youth and family prevention and well-being; stigma; adverse childhood experience; school-based health centers and youth and family resource centers; access to stable housing, food, and other social supports; the importance of trusted community resources for support; and workforce. Offers recommendations related to reducing stigma and promoting the enhanced utilization of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) to help rural communities address OUD and substance use disorders.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Child Maltreatment 2023
Reports on rates of children receiving child protective services, children who died of abuse and neglect, and children who are victims of maltreatment, using data collected from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS). Offers information on availability and access to child protective services at the state and territory level, including how some counties respond to child abuse and neglect screenings, referrals, and the provision of services. Includes data broken down by race/ethnicity as well as discussions specific to rural and tribal areas.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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2025 Indiana Girl Report Dashboard
Provides interactive regional and county-level data on girls in Indiana. Includes demographic information, population to provider ratios, health insurance data, educational attainment, reported bullying, poverty, and more. Offers interactive county-level maps as well as county-level data in the drop-down menu.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organizations: Girl Coalition of Indiana, Girl Scouts, Indiana Youth Institute
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Washington's Health Workforce Sentinel Network Findings Brief: Small Hospitals
Describes reasons for long vacancies, high turnover, and retention problems at Washington hospitals with 25 beds or fewer. Examines problems such as lack of child care and housing, and workplace violence. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organizations: The Health Workforce Sentinel Network, UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Alaska Native Injury Atlas, 4th Edition - Part 1: Injury Deaths
Provides data on trends in injury-related deaths among Alaska Native and American Indian people in Alaska, utilizing 2014-2023 Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records death certificate data. Breaks down data by Tribal Health Region, demographic group, injury mechanism, and injury intent.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
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Sexualized Drug Use Factors Among Rural Sexual Minority Men
Presents a study identifying factors that correspond to sexualized drug use, or substance use immediately before or during sex, for rural sexual minority men. Highlights risk factors of sexualized drug use, such as HIV infection, and details corresponding demographic and behavioral characteristics.
Author(s): Christopher Owens, Benjamin N. Montemayor
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12917
Date: 2025
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Preventing Violence Against Rural Health Care Workers
Policy brief discussing violence against healthcare workers and unique factors that may influence underreporting of such violence in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to prevent healthcare worker violence in rural healthcare settings and communities and reduce barriers to reporting.
Author(s): Carrie Howard, Aaron Kramer, Devon Noonan
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Morbidity and Mortality Related to Intimate Partner Violence in the Perinatal Period
Policy brief discussing intimate partner violence (IPV) during the perinatal period, including IPV and IPV screening disparities in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to address IPV experienced by perinatal people living in rural areas, focusing on prevention, screening, and resources for survivors.
Author(s): Susie Gurzenda, Casey P. Balio, Megan Weis
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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