Because there is less reporting of domestic abuse in rural areas due to the reasons we looked at earlier in the week, this means services are concentrating their resources in areas where the reporting is highest, the towns and cities.  There is therefore an ongoing cycle where people aren’t able to easily access support in rural areas so there is less reporting and so the services continue to be concentrated in urban areas.  We are lucky in Derbyshire as our domestic abuse services do provide outreach to rural areas, however many people still don’t realise that they are able to get help and some people don’t even realise that they are being abused. 

We should remember that domestic abuse happens wherever you live, whatever your age, gender or sexual orientation and whatever your social class or income.  Services must be made more easily available to everyone, but more than that, we need to ensure that abuse does not go ignored and unpunished. 

Thanks for reading,

Emily

Kindly funded by Derbyshire's Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner