Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Thus far, little empirical and theoretical work has been done on the sexual abuse of rural women who want to leave, are trying to leave, or who have left their marital/cohabiting partners. Further, the bulk of the limited research on this topic has focused on types of seperation/divorce sexual assault and the characteristics of offenders. Using qualitative exploratory data gathered from 43 rural Ohio women, the main objective of this paper is to describe and theorize their experiences with social support providers such as police officers, judges, and shelter workers. This paper concludes with recommendations for further research and policy development.