The Darker Side of Rural Masculinity: Second and Third Order Impacts of Low Help-Seeking Behavior Following the Trauma of Victimisation

It is recognised by researchers globally that crime in the rural space is lower than the urban equivalent. This is not always the lived experience of rural communities, despite the reporting of crime being low. The issue of rural masculinity potentially plays a key role in the likelihood of rural victims reporting a crime to the police. However, it is argued that the same factor influences the failure of rural victims to seek help for the trauma of victimisation, leading to second and third impacts associated with becoming a victim of rural crime. This exploration of the issue of rural masculinity delves into the wider impact it has on crime experiences, crime reporting, and help-seeking post-victimisation. This discussion goes further to suggest that the persistence of rural masculinity could be creating a darker, more toxic rural masculinity that has a much broader impact on the wider rural communities. The question of whether this toxic rural masculinity is more widespread than initially thought is explored, as is the idea that those who exhibit this toxic machismo may be more likely to exhibit the control lost through victimisation in other ways. Recommendations are made for further research to address the questions raised.