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Rural Health Information Hub

Violence and Abuse in Rural America – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Violence and Abuse in Rural America.

NHA Human Trafficking Toolkit
Resources and information to help hospitals and hospital staff address human trafficking. Includes information on screening and assessment, patient care tips, examples of posters and other awareness materials, and examples of policies and procedures. Lists Nebraska programs that can help adults and minors impacted by trafficking.
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Nebraska Hospital Association
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Examining the Availability of SAFE Kits at Hospitals in the United States
Congressional hearing analyzing the availability of sexual assault forensic examiners. Discusses the impact of training, service volume, and workforce retention on access. Notes rural-specific rates of sexual assault and challenges with access to care. Includes testimony from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, International Association of Forensic Nurses, and Futures Without Violence.
Additional links: A. Nicole Clowers Testimony, Kiersten Stewart Testimony, Sara Jennings Testimony
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
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Rural and Tribal Elder Justice Resource Guide
Provides an overview of elder abuse in rural and tribal communities as presented during a summit event hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice's Elder Justice Initiative on November 14-15, 2018. Includes statistical data on impacts of elder abuse in rural settings and links to toolkits, federal resources, and community outreach resources. Supplemental document contains speaker presentation slides.
Additional links: Rural and Tribal Elder Justice Summit Materials
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Justice
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Association of Childhood Trauma Exposure With Adult Psychiatric Disorders and Functional Outcomes
Results of a study examining associations between childhood trauma and adult outcomes among 1,420 participants from 11 predominantly rural North Carolina counties, with interviews taking place between 1999-2015.
Author(s): William E. Copeland, Lilly Shanahan, Jennifer Hinesley, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open 1(7)
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
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Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence: Some Do's and Don'ts for Health Providers
Discusses the role rural healthcare providers can play in screening for and helping address domestic violence (DV) and interpersonal violence (IPV). Features a Kentucky physician assistant educator, universal screening at an Oregon Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), and insights from a Missouri orthopedic trauma surgeon and a national DV/IPV technical assistance provider.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Intergenerational Continuity in Adverse Childhood Experiences and Rural Community Environments
Reports on a study of two-parent families with children in rural Iowa to determine the effect of community environment on intergenerational continuity in adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Measures of community environment including socioeconomic status, social cohesion, perception of community services, and alcohol vendor density were correlated with ACEs to analyze their significance in helping families break the cycle and reduce or prevent childhood adversity.
Author(s): Thomas J. Schofield, M. Brent Donnellan, Melissa T. Merrick, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 108(9), 1148–1152
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
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Exploring the Rural Context for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Discusses adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how they may impact rural health. Provides policy recommendations focused on the rural dimensions of ACEs. Addresses categories of ACEs, prevalence in rural areas and for Native populations, federal efforts to address ACEs, and the opioid epidemic. Covers the role of school-based healthcare programs to increase access to pediatric specialty services or linking children to needed non-medical services. Profiles a committee site visit focused on a model ACEs program in New York in Appendix A.
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Together We Can Be Bully Free: CAH and Law Enforcement Address Peer Victimization through School-Based Program
Highlights an anti-bullying program developed by Union General Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Union Parish, Louisiana. Describes how the hospital and local law enforcement collaborate to teach elementary, middle, and high school students about the negative effects bullying and how to model positive social behavior.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Adverse Childhood Experiences, Health‐Related Quality of Life, and Chronic Disease Risks in Rural Areas of the United States
Discusses a study on the correlation between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adult chronic disease and poor physical and mental health among rural people. Breaks down data by age, race, and education, among other factors. Compares prevalence of ACEs rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Amy Chanlongbutra, Gopal K. Singh, Curt D. Mueller
Citation: Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2018, 7151297
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
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Leveraging Research and Philanthropy to Reduce Crime and Violence in the Mississippi Delta
Explores how foundations fund public safety projects, focusing on Phillips County, Arkansas and Coahoma County, Mississippi. Features background on violence and crime in rural areas, including a description of the research literature. Proposes a framework for selecting and implementing violence prevention and intervention on the community level.
Author(s): Jessica Saunders, Dionne Barnes-Proby, Samuel Peterson
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Last Updated: 2/6/2024