Violence and Abuse in Rural America – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Violence and Abuse in Rural America.
Culture is Prevention: A Strength Based, Culturally Grounded Journey Toward Prevention, Intervention, and Healing
Provides an overview on the Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) plan to address the crisis of missing or murdered indigenous people (MMIP). Discusses historical context and the social determinants of health (SDOH) that impact Native American/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Outlines culturally aware practices to support the public health pillars of prevention, intervention, healing, and delivery of ACF programs.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Provides an overview on the Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) plan to address the crisis of missing or murdered indigenous people (MMIP). Discusses historical context and the social determinants of health (SDOH) that impact Native American/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Outlines culturally aware practices to support the public health pillars of prevention, intervention, healing, and delivery of ACF programs.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Demonstration Grants to Strengthen the Response to Victims of Human Trafficking in Native Communities (VHT-NC) Program: Interim Report
Provides an overview of Victims of Human Trafficking in Native Communities (VHT-NC) projects that aim to provide support to Native American people who have experienced human trafficking. Discusses the evaluation process of VHT-NC projects with a focus on understanding human trafficking within the VHT-NC communities (including rural and tribal); project design, structure, and partnerships; outreach to victims and identification approaches; case management and service delivery; and community training.
Author(s): Elizabeth Tibaduiza, Christina Melander, Rebecca Pfeffer, Ada Melton, Rita Martinez
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, American Indian Development Associates, RTI International
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Provides an overview of Victims of Human Trafficking in Native Communities (VHT-NC) projects that aim to provide support to Native American people who have experienced human trafficking. Discusses the evaluation process of VHT-NC projects with a focus on understanding human trafficking within the VHT-NC communities (including rural and tribal); project design, structure, and partnerships; outreach to victims and identification approaches; case management and service delivery; and community training.
Author(s): Elizabeth Tibaduiza, Christina Melander, Rebecca Pfeffer, Ada Melton, Rita Martinez
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, American Indian Development Associates, RTI International
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Variations in Victimization: The Relationship between Community Types, Violence against Women and Reporting Behaviors
Using a 5 category measure of rural and urban locations by land use, evaluates National Crime Victimization Survey data between 1996 and 2005 to analyze differences in the rural and urban victim-offender relationship for female victims. Discusses the impact of proximity for rural victimization and how the victim-offender relationship impacts reporting victimization to the police.
Author(s): Ryan Randa, Sarah R. Bostrom, Wyatt Brown, Bradford W. Reyns, Jessica C. Fleming
Citation: Social Sciences, 12(9), 471
Date: 08/2023
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Using a 5 category measure of rural and urban locations by land use, evaluates National Crime Victimization Survey data between 1996 and 2005 to analyze differences in the rural and urban victim-offender relationship for female victims. Discusses the impact of proximity for rural victimization and how the victim-offender relationship impacts reporting victimization to the police.
Author(s): Ryan Randa, Sarah R. Bostrom, Wyatt Brown, Bradford W. Reyns, Jessica C. Fleming
Citation: Social Sciences, 12(9), 471
Date: 08/2023
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Homicides Among Infants in the United States, 2017–2020
Report details the rate of infant homicides from 2017-2020. Highlights the factors that correlate with infant homicide such as the age of mother, access to prenatal care, level of education, and rurality, among other factors.
Author(s): Isabelle Horon, Anne K. Driscoll
Citation: National Vital Statistics Reports, 72(9)
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Report details the rate of infant homicides from 2017-2020. Highlights the factors that correlate with infant homicide such as the age of mother, access to prenatal care, level of education, and rurality, among other factors.
Author(s): Isabelle Horon, Anne K. Driscoll
Citation: National Vital Statistics Reports, 72(9)
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Emergency Department Preparedness to Care for Sexual Assault Survivors: A Nationwide Study
Surveys 315 sexual assault (SA) advocates to determine emergency department staff preparedness and available resources for SA survivors. Discusses rural and urban access to sexual assault nurse examiners and implications for quality of care.
Author(s): Kristen Chalmers, Meredith Hollender, Liam Spurr, et al.
Citation: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health, 24(3)
Date: 05/2023
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Surveys 315 sexual assault (SA) advocates to determine emergency department staff preparedness and available resources for SA survivors. Discusses rural and urban access to sexual assault nurse examiners and implications for quality of care.
Author(s): Kristen Chalmers, Meredith Hollender, Liam Spurr, et al.
Citation: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health, 24(3)
Date: 05/2023
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Effect of the Communities That Care Prevention System on Adolescent Handgun Carrying: A Cluster-Randomized Clinical Trial
Analyzes the impact of Communities That Care (CTC), a community-based behavioral health intervention system, in reducing adolescent handgun carrying in rural areas. Examines survey data from 4,407 youth from 2003 to 2011 living in various rural communities and states in grades 5 through 12 and their likelihood to carry handguns.
Author(s): Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, Sabrina Oesterle, Emma L. Gause, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(4)
Date: 04/2023
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Analyzes the impact of Communities That Care (CTC), a community-based behavioral health intervention system, in reducing adolescent handgun carrying in rural areas. Examines survey data from 4,407 youth from 2003 to 2011 living in various rural communities and states in grades 5 through 12 and their likelihood to carry handguns.
Author(s): Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, Sabrina Oesterle, Emma L. Gause, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(4)
Date: 04/2023
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Americans' Experiences With Gun-Related Violence, Injuries, And Deaths
Surveyed 1,271 U.S. adults in March 2023 regarding experience with gun violence, injury, and death. Discusses respondent's level of concern of gun violence, precautionary measures taken, storage practices, healthcare provider practices, and general knowledge of gun violence including suicide statistics. Figures 4 and 5 compare respondents level of concern with and feeling of safety from gun violence in their community by rural, suburban, or urban community types.
Author(s): Shannon Schumacher, Ashley Kirzinger, Marley Presiado, Isabelle Valdes, Mollyann Brodie
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Surveyed 1,271 U.S. adults in March 2023 regarding experience with gun violence, injury, and death. Discusses respondent's level of concern of gun violence, precautionary measures taken, storage practices, healthcare provider practices, and general knowledge of gun violence including suicide statistics. Figures 4 and 5 compare respondents level of concern with and feeling of safety from gun violence in their community by rural, suburban, or urban community types.
Author(s): Shannon Schumacher, Ashley Kirzinger, Marley Presiado, Isabelle Valdes, Mollyann Brodie
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Your Neighborhood Matters: An Ecological Social Determinant Study of the Relationship Between Residential Racial Segregation And the Risk of Firearm Fatalities
Examines the impact of county-level social determinants of health (SDOH) on firearm fatalities. Analyzes 802 firearm fatalities that occurred in Wisconsin counties in 2019 and their relationship to SDOH, such as segregation, income inequality, community resilience, and rural versus urban classification. Includes county-level maps depicting geographic distribution of segregation and firearm fatalities per 100,000 people.
Author(s): Abdul R. Shour, Ronald Anguzu, Yuhong Zhou, et al.
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 10, 14
Date: 03/2023
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Examines the impact of county-level social determinants of health (SDOH) on firearm fatalities. Analyzes 802 firearm fatalities that occurred in Wisconsin counties in 2019 and their relationship to SDOH, such as segregation, income inequality, community resilience, and rural versus urban classification. Includes county-level maps depicting geographic distribution of segregation and firearm fatalities per 100,000 people.
Author(s): Abdul R. Shour, Ronald Anguzu, Yuhong Zhou, et al.
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 10, 14
Date: 03/2023
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Bullying and Physical Violence and Their Association with Handgun Carrying among Youth Growing up in Rural Areas
Evaluates 2002 students in 12 rural communities in 7 states to identify the association between handgun carrying and violence in rural youth. Discusses implications for violence prevention efforts.
Author(s): Alice M. Ellyson, Emma Gause, Vivian H. Lyons, et al.
Citation: Preventative Medicine, 167, 107416
Date: 02/2023
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Evaluates 2002 students in 12 rural communities in 7 states to identify the association between handgun carrying and violence in rural youth. Discusses implications for violence prevention efforts.
Author(s): Alice M. Ellyson, Emma Gause, Vivian H. Lyons, et al.
Citation: Preventative Medicine, 167, 107416
Date: 02/2023
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Rural-Urban Variation in the Association of Adolescent Violence and Handgun Carrying in the United States, 2002-2019
Uses the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2002 to 2019 to compare associations of interpersonal violence and handgun carrying between rural and urban 12 to 17 year olds. Sample includes nearly 25 million people each year of the study and uses the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural-Urban Continuum Codes to determine rurality. Offers suggestions for rural-specific injury prevention measures.
Author(s): Julia P. Schleimer, Emma Gause, Kimberly Dalve, Alice Allyson, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(2)
Date: 02/2023
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Uses the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2002 to 2019 to compare associations of interpersonal violence and handgun carrying between rural and urban 12 to 17 year olds. Sample includes nearly 25 million people each year of the study and uses the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural-Urban Continuum Codes to determine rurality. Offers suggestions for rural-specific injury prevention measures.
Author(s): Julia P. Schleimer, Emma Gause, Kimberly Dalve, Alice Allyson, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(2)
Date: 02/2023
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Last Updated: 10/30/2025