Understanding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the Context of Safety and Security for Rural Communities

Abstract This article examines challenges to the study of rural crime and criminal justice through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It emphasizes that the rural population of the world and within many countries is a significant share of the total, even though urbanization will inevitably continue through the remainder of the 21st century. Contrary to longstanding stereotypes, especially those found in criminology, rural places are quite diverse. In addition, rural localities everywhere are changing, and with these changes emerge important issues related to the safety and security of rural populations. All 17 SDGs are discussed within the context of crimes that affect rural people and their perceptions of safety; we examine what rural criminology can do to help criminal justice policy-makers and practitioners focus strategies and tactics suitable for a rural context.