Evidence shows that survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) are 2-3 times more likely to encounter sexual violence later in life, a phenomenon known as ‘sexual revictimisation’. Despite extensive research on this topic, the experiences of women in rural areas are underexplored. Furthermore, much of the existing research on revictimisation focuses on victim/survivor behaviour as a condition for further violence. Moving away from victim-blaming, this presentation will explore the cultural, community, systemic, and geographical dynamics that create 'conditions of possibility' for sexual violence in these areas.

This presentation is based on research findings from a collaborative partnership between the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health, and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University and the Centre Against Sexual Assault Central Victoria (CASA-CV) in Regional Victoria, Bendigo.
The study revealed a lack of adequate responses from families, communities, and services across victim/survivors’ lives when disclosing violence and abuse. The findings also highlight that this inadequate response is intricately linked with rural infrastructure, isolated landscapes, fear of social isolation among families, victim-blaming discourses, idealisation of men in the community, and limited relationship and sexuality education (RSE) in schools. These forces collectively constitute a form of “slow violence”, accumulating over participants' lifetimes and gradually normalising relational violence.

This presentation will discuss these the key learnings from this study and how we understand the complex interplay of cultural, material, and interpersonal forces, including the unique culture and spaces of rural/regional communities, that foster conditions increasing the likelihood of women experiencing sexual revictimisation.

Key Learnings:

1. Families, communities, and services often fail to appropriately respond to victim-survivors disclosing violence and abuse, with these deficiencies particularly pronounced in rural settings.

2. The inadequate responses are linked to rural infrastructure, isolated landscapes, fear of social isolation, victim-blaming attitudes, idealization of men in the community, and insufficient relationship and sexuality education in schools, creating an environment that normalizes relational violence.

3. The unique cultural and spatial dynamics of rural and regional communities foster conditions that increase the likelihood of sexual revictimization, underscoring the need for targeted interventions that address these multifaceted influences.