“Stuck in a house on a hill in the middle of nowhere”

: Constructing a threefold architecture of domestic abuse in the rural environment

Abstract

Domestic abuse in the rural environment is a largely neglected area of scholarly interest. The current understanding largely comes from research conducted in the U.S., Australia and Canada. Few studies have attempted to understand how rural environments in England impact the experience of and response to domestic abuse. Moreover, whilst there is a substantial body of research that seeks to understand the impact of COVID-19 on domestic abuse victim-survivors and practitioners, few studies consider this within the context of the rural environment. To address these gaps, this research gathered insights from 13 domestic abuse practitioners, one police officer and Jenny, a victim-survivor of domestic abuse through a series of semi-structured interviews.

This thesis develops a novel theoretical framework to better comprehend domestic abuse in rural environments as a complex and multi-faceted phenomenon, impacted not only by the physical aspects of rural environments but also the social aspects. A synthesis of intersectionality and Keith Halfacree’s (2006) threefold architecture of rural space is employed for the purpose of developing this complex understanding.

The findings indicate that experiences of and responses to domestic abuse are mediated by the rural environment. The interaction between the material practices, and discursive processes that produce and reproduce the rural environments under examination here as idyllic, safe and crime-free results in complex challenges for victim-survivors of domestic abuse to overcome. Moreover, these dominant perceptions of the rural do not reflect the experiences of domestic abuse victim-survivors. For victim-survivors who live in rural areas, the gendered power imbalance that they experience in their relationship can be reinforced and mirrored by their wider rural community. This thesis concludes by identifying the implications for policy, practice and research.

Date of Award	11 Dec 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Winchester
Supervisor	Tim Hall (Supervisor), Cassandra Jones (Supervisor) & Sasie Rekha (Supervisor)