7 Women's experiences of domestic abuse in rural and remote Australia Deborah Loxton, Rafat Hussain, Margot Schofield, School of Health, The University of New England INTRODUCTION In The Women's Safety Australia Survey (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996), and across all three age cohorts (young aged 18-23; mid aged 45-50; older aged 70-75) in the first surveys of WHA (1997) the lifetime prevalence of domestic violence was higher for women from rural and remote regions, than for women living in urban areas. The Partnerships Against Domestic Violence (PADV) initiative identified women from rural and remote regions as constituting a group that required special attention, due to the unique circumstances that surround non-urban living (PADV, 1999). Social and physical isolation have been identified as being a major problem for women who experience abuse while living in non-urban areas, due to geographical location, transport difficulties, and unreliable or unavailable telephone services (Bagshaw, Chung, Couch, Lilburn, & Wadham, 2000). Limited financial resources due to the complex nature of running a property, and the prevalence of firearms in the country have also been identified as problems that are specific to rural and remote experiences of living with domestic abuse (Alston, 1997). Isolation, the limited availability of legal services, such as police, legal aid, and advocacy support, and specialist domestic violence services, such as long-term counselling and refuge accommodation, mean that reaching out for help is problematic (The Women's Services Network [Wesnet), 2000). Furthermore, when services are available they are often not used because of a variety of reasons, such as the stigma attached to having relationship problems, and concerns over confidentiality including: social relationships with the people providing the service (eg. their partner being friends with the local police officer), a lack of awareness of the available services, and a perception that domestic abuse must involve physical violence (Alston, 1997; Bagshaw et al., 2000 ). Women from rural and remote areas have been found to be reluctant to change their domestic situation because they feared damaging their place in the local community. Current evidence suggests that these fears may be justified. In interviews with women who had lived in an abusive relationship in rural areas, researchers found that trying to talk to friends and family often resulted in ostracism, or with people siding with one partner or the other (Bagshaw et al., 2000). In another study that interviewed women aged over 45, women who talked about the abuse with doctors, family, friends, or clergy were most commonly met by disbelief, embarrassment, or entreaties to "try harder" (Morgan, Disney & Assoc., Leigh Cupitt & Assoc., & Council on the Ageing, 2000). 1 Refereed INFRONT OUTBACK Paper
7" Women from rural and remote regions who consider leaving an abusive relationship face further obstacles. The social and geographical isolation, and difficulties with obtaining help, outlined above, contribute to women tending to face leaving an abusive relationship without support. Women in rural areas were more likely to be financially dependent on their partners, and leaving a family property is