Voices from the Front Line: Human Service Workers Perceptions of Interpersonal Violence in Resource-Based Boom Counties

Background and Purpose.The increase in oil extraction activities creates a myriad of economic and social implications that rural communities’ experience. It also comes at tremendous social costs that must be weighed against the benefits of this development. Growing consensus exists that boomtown communities experience an increase in crime and social disorder. However, less agreement exits about the severity of these increases or how oil development impacts frontline human service workers. Consequently, research is crucial to inform intervention and prevention efforts. The study describes challenges created by examining the perceptions of human service administrators who supervise caseworkers regarding their perceptions of interpersonal violence in rural North Dakota counties impacted by the current oil boom.

Methods. This is a qualitative study that included individual interviews and three focus groups. All forty participants were human service administrators employed in the boom counties of western North Dakota. The agencies targeted for inclusion in the study were identified in the 2011 North Dakota Department of Human Service directory. Additionally, a snowball sample method was used to include additional participants. Data were gathered from interviews were analyzed by the investigators using content analysis methodolgy.  Two researchers seperately analyzed the data and compared results.                                                                                                    

Findings. The respondents reported that the nature of interpersonal violence has changed as a result of an influx of transient workers and their families. Many new employees in the boomtown areas experience a lack stable housing, limited support networks and high rates of substance abuse. Not only does domestic violence have a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable of these victims (women with children, the elderly and youth) but the consequences of being victimized are more severe in these boom counties because of a lack of human service infrastructure to adequately respond to crime and victimization.  Concerns were also expressed by study participants regarding the lack of valid data regarding interpersonal violence. Many participants believe that existing state data does not adequately reflect their additional workloads. The inability to properly respond to the needs of people experiencing interpersonal violence was a source of stress for these respondents. Consequently, much of the creativity, time and resources of human service agencies in North Dakota boom counties are spent in reacting to the demands caused by the boom by responding to crisis situations only.               

Conclusion and Implications. This research documents an array of burdens experienced by human service worker impacted by the oil boom and is intended to inform policymakers and the public.  It also provides a voice for the human service administrators to describe their day-to-day experience of working a crisis situations with too few employees.  Research on the direct relationship between boomtown and crime is critical to explore. It can inform practitioners to engage in “best practices” that will enable civic leaders and policymakers to (a) develop better crime reduction strategies; (b) implement more effective strategies to addressing the impact of crime on victim; and, (c) develop policies and funding mechanisms that serve the needs of boomtown residents experiencing interpersonal violence.