Measuring and Researching Rural Victimisation

Conventional criminology has long suggested that crime is, in essence, an urban phenomenon and that denser settlements are more crime prone. If this misnomer is taken at face value, ipso facto there are less rural victims. The reliability of this assumption is questionable when considering the challenges inherent in measuring and researching rural victimisation. This chapter provides an assessment of the issues surrounding the accurate measurement of rural victimisation, including problems with non-reporting, under-reporting and under policing evident in some rural communities and the use of police discretion in the context of high acquaintance density. It also contemplates the key considerations and challenges of researching rural victimisation. Suggested approaches to improve research with rural victims are made to optimise their involvement and to maximise the outcomes and impacts.