Intended Date of Award
2015
Degree Name
Doctorate in Public Administration (DPA)
Chair
Reid Zimmerman, PhD, Hamline School of Business
Vice-Chair
Jeri Boisvert, Minnesota Office of Justice Programs, Executive Director (retired)
Committee Member
Kris Norman-Major, PhD, Hamline School of Business, Director of Public Administration Programs
Abstract
This study explored domestic violence in energy boomtowns to answer the questions: What issues are confronting social service professionals who are in a position to identify and respond to female victims of domestic violence in rural North Dakota? What opportunities do professionals cite in identifying and responding to female victims of domestic violence in rural areas and boomtowns? Further, how has the professionals’ experience of the oil boom changed their methods of identifying and responding to female victims of domestic violence? The study used a qualitative approach through a focus group and interviews with the program directors of rural domestic violence advocacy organizations in the state as key informants on the issue. Findings were analyzed through the lens of literature on domestic violence in general and in rural areas in particular, the boomtown social disruption hypothesis, and feminist perspectives on addressing domestic violence.
Findings were consistent with literature about domestic violence in rural areas and in boomtowns. Findings also revealed that certain barriers become more pronounced during an energy boom, including the severity of abuse, the prevalence of mental health and substance abuse issues, access to and costs of transportation and housing, and the necessity of a community-coordinated response. Recommendations for public policymakers and administrators include the State’s adoption of a definition of domestic violence that includes more than physical violence, exploration of telehealth for mental health and substance abuse services, development of state-wide community-coordinated responses, and investment in the organizational capacities of those agencies responding to trauma.
Recommended Citation
Rendahl, Kristi, "Domestic Violence in the North Dakota Oil Patch: Barriers to Identifying and Serving Female Victims" (2015). School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations. 7.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hsb_all/7
dc_type
text
dc_publisher
DigitalCommons@Hamline
dc_format
application/pdf
dc_source
School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Commons, Public Administration Commons, Rural Sociology Commons, Women's Health Commons