How Social Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence Affect Homelessness Among Women in Two Rural Regions With Resource-Based Economies in Eastern Quebec

Sexual Violence and Assault in Rural Australia: A Scoping Review of Regional, Rural, and Remote Contexts

Sexual violence (SV) is an insidious social phenomenon that results in physical, emotional, and psychological trauma. The aim of this article is to review the research pertaining to SV in regional, rural, and remote Australia. A systematic scoping review was undertaken using the Arksey and O'Malley five-step framework. A total of 25 articles were included in the review and appraised using the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool. Thematic analysis was undertaken to report the findings. This review highlight several key points: (a) similar findings resonated across all articles included in the review (published between 1996 and 2024), suggesting that despite public health and other campaigns highlighting gendered sexualized violence, little meaningful change has occurred, (b) the pervasive nature of SV in rural, remote, and regional Australia with some forms of SV being more prevalent than in metropolitan and urban areas, and (c) there are a multitude of noteworthy challenges of SV in rural and remote Australia, including barriers to disclosure and help-seeking. Problems with service delivery and responses to violence emerged as issues of concern. This scoping review highlights the unique issues and challenges that rural and remote communities face in relation to SV and that despite public health and other campaigns highlighting sexualized violence, little meaningful change has occurred. In addition, SV is a feature of life for many in rural, remote, and regional Australia.

The shame of sexual violence towards women in rural areas

This perspective paper presents a discussion around the issues of sexual violence (SV) in rural and remote areas and the associated discourses of shame. The authors propose that shame of SV adds additional trauma to survivors, further impacting survivors' mental health which may be exacerbated in rural areas. Shame is a complex emotion that can result in increased feelings of guilt, humiliation, and embarrassment. Shame has been identified as an underlying risk factor and a mechanism for post-assault mental health problems. We propose it can be particularly pronounced for women subjected to sexual assault in rural or remote areas. This paper will explore the link between SV and shame, explain how shame attached to SV may be used as an informal social control mechanism for women, particularly in rural and remote areas, and discuss the role of health practitioners, particularly mental health nurses, who play a key role in supporting people impacted by SV. SV is an insidious social phenomenon that can have profound consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Addressing shame and stigma is a crucial component of supporting survivors of SV in rural and remote areas. There is a need for targeted community-led interventions and responsive support services to address the complex and multifaceted issues contributing to SV in rural and remote communities.