What is Rural Crime?

The bulk of crime and criminal justice research is focused on urban settings; yet, rurality can exacerbate some criminal issues, add complexity or manifest distinctive crimes, but these are not well understood and are often underplayed in scholarship. As such, rural crime and society is an important and growing field of research highlighting the unique issues surrounding crime, disorder, and criminal justice in non-urban settings.

In this regard, there are a number of key issues that have come to the fore in the study of rural crime, with particular attention to the ways in which aspects of locational context and cultural geography impact upon crime in rural communities, as well as how crime is understood and responded to.

These areas of research include, but are not limited to:

  • Farm and property crime
  • Environmental crime and illegal hunting
  • Interpersonal violence
  • Public attitudes towards crime and criminal justice
  • Policing
  • Aboriginal justice
  • Access to justice and community programs
  • Criminological dimensions of food and agriculture
  • Drug use, production and trafficking

For more information, please see the current research of ISSRC members.