Health and Rural Context Among Victims of Partner Abuse: Does Justice Matter?

Robert Walker, T. K. Logan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Research typically compartmentalizes health and justice as separate areas of study. However, the current health literature on inequality suggests the two concepts are overlapping. For victims of partner violence, procedural justice (defined in this article as access to protective orders and enforcement of protective orders) potentially provides a step toward improved health and well-being by improving safety. There has been limited research examining these factors in rural compared with urban areas. This study examines the impact of procedural justice on health and well-being through interviews with rural and urban women 6 months prior to, and 6 months after, obtaining a protective order. Consistent with other literature, rural women who were victims of partner violence reported worse health, higher stress, and higher Stress-Related Consequences Scale scores compared with urban women. Women’s reported health consequences were related to the interaction of perceived ineffectiveness of the protective orders and their rural/urban environment. Thus, the perceived effectiveness of procedural justice may play an important role in alleviating victims’ safety, health, and well-being, all of which are components of contemporary views of justice.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)64-82
Number of pages19
JournalJournal of Interpersonal Violence
Volume33
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, © The Author(s) 2016.

Keywords

  • cultural contexts
  • domestic violence
  • legal intervention

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Applied Psychology

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