Service providers say the close-knit nature of geographically isolated communities can result in a perceived lack of anonymity and confidentiality which can discourage women from speaking up.
When it comes to reporting domestic violence in a regional area, the odds of knowing someone who works in a frontline service are far higher than in metropolitan areas.
"We've seen domestic violence as happening behind closed doors, and people see it as something that's private. In South Australia, the latest SAPOL crime statistics show a 15 per cent increase in family and domestic abuse related offending – from 11,045 offences to 12,658 offences between April 2023 and 2024.University of Melbourne research fellow Emily Corbett has studied rural women's experiences of gendered violence and said rurality provides a unique dimension to disclosing abuse.
Ms Broadfoot agreed that smaller support networks was a challenge for domestic violence service providers, especially when it came to securing safe housing for women leaving violent situations."Access to housing is a critical issue for women in regional areas, and the current tight rental market is a factor in timely support for women and their children to leave a violent situation," she said.
"You can be put on a waitlist for counselling services and it can take many months and you're missing such a crucial time there where you are absolutely desperate for support but are unable to access it if you don't have the funds."
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