Policing rural protest

This chapter defines what is meant by rurality and examines the particular difficulties faced by women experiencing domestic violence within rural areas. It examines the police response to domestic violence, and in particular the services female victims living in rural areas receive. The investigation relied upon documentary analysis of secondary literature and informal interviews with police officers, including representatives from the Oxford City Domestic Violence Unit, the Public Protection Officer responsible for Partnership Planning of Violent Crime in the county, and the county-wide Domestic Violence Co-ordinator for Oxfordshire. The preliminary observations people have made in relation to policing domestic violence in Oxfordshire provides some insight into the factors that shape the experience of violence for rural women. The chapter discusses some recent exploratory findings, and presents tentative recommendations about the route policy needs to take if domestic violence in rural areas is ever to be genuinely addressed.