Rural Victims of Crime

This section examines the unique challenges that confront victims in rural areas.  In South Carolina, 36 of 46 counties are rural resulting in nearly 75 percent of the state designated as rural.  Numerous barriers specific to rural victims must be overcome in order to provide adequate victim services.  Remoteness, lack of services and funding, and isolation limits accessibility and quality of necessary services that are more easily available to urban victims.  Identification of challenges that face rural populations will enable participants to tailor victim service programs to meet the needs of victims who reside in remote areas.  Additionally, concerns will be addressed.  Promising practices developed to meet the needs of victims in rural regions will be examined.

Learning objectives include:

• Identify the misconceptions that are frequently associated with rural communities.
• Understand the financial and structural challenges that confront remote jurisdictions.
• Address the cultural differences that characterize rural residents.
• Identify concerns that are unique to Hispanic victims, domestic violence victims, and rural college campuses.
• Understand the distinctions between rural and urban law enforcement and Victim Service Professional agencies.
• Assess and compare national efforts to improve rural victims' assistance.
• Evaluate promising practices that various agencies have adopted.