Profiling the life course of resource-based boomtowns: A key step in crime prevention

Ruddell, Rick; Ray, Heather

doi:10.35502/jcswb.78

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Writing about 1970s era resource-based boomtowns, Gilmore (1976) observes that it is almost impossible to tackle any one of these issues without confronting the others. As a result, strategies intended to mitigate boomtown effects must be broad-based and start with an understanding that booms have a life course and all resource-based booms ultimately end (Ruddell & Ray, 2018). Given that observation, a key priority for local government officials is ensuring they reduce the potential harms to their communities while booms are occurring and prepare for the inevitable loss of revenue after resource extraction activities decrease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A perfect storm: Violence toward women in the Bakken oil patch

Ruddell¹,

Britto²

2020

International Journal of Rural Criminology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Communities in the Bakken region of Montana and North Dakota that experienced a resourcebased boom starting in the mid-2000s had significant increases in the volume and seriousness of violence toward women. We identify five community factors distinctive to these boomtowns that created a perfect storm where these crimes proliferated including: (a) precarious housing arrangements; (b) the social isolation of women; (c) lack of domestic violence shelters and other social supports for survivors; (d) a workplace culture in the oilfields supportive of substance abuse and hyper-masculinity, and; (e) the inability of boomtown justice systems to respond to these crimes in an effective or timely manner. Although this critical analysis describes the outcomes in a U.S. jurisdiction, the conditions in rapid growth communities are similar throughout the globe and we suggest these community factors be considered in the responses to domestic and intimate partner violence in these rural areas. Our goal in identifying these factors is to work toward the development of an intervention model for officials anticipating resourcebased booms to mitigate this violence.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A perfect storm: Violence toward women in the Bakken oil patch

Ruddell¹,

Britto²

2020

International Journal of Rural Criminology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Municipalities that are primarily reliant on resource development profits have been called "boomtowns," as they experience boom and bust cycles alongside fluctuating resource prices (Ruddell & Ray, 2018).…”

Section: Economic Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping Danger

Hettinga

2023

Spectrum

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Natural resource-based projects represent an important sector in Canada’s economy, where the energy, mining, and forestry industries accounted for 17% of Canada’s gross domestic product in 2018 (Natural Resources Canada, 2019). Many projects are located on or near Indigenous lands, disproportionately impacting Indigenous peoples (Gibson et al., 2017). The negative environmental impacts of resource-based projects are well documented (Koutouki et al., 2018; Westman & Joly, 2019); however, the social consequences are often overlooked. Recently, numerous non-profit organizations have documented a connection between resource-based projects and increased numbers of violent offences against Indigenous women (Amnesty International, 2016b; Bond & Quinlan, 2018; Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, 2021;), but few academic articles have addressed this issue. Therefore, a non-systematic scoping review was conducted on available grey literature, news articles, and academic literature to examine key concepts and themes. This review demonstrates that colonization has placed Indigenous women in Canada at higher risk of violence. The introduction of resource-based projects exacerbates this issue through three key processes: the presence of “man camps,” economic changes, and changing family dynamics. In combination with an inadequate criminal justice system, the resulting violence against Indigenous women can be categorized into three overlapping groups: domestic violence, workplace violence, and sexual violence. An economic map was developed to illustrate the locations of resource-based projects associated with this issue (see Figure 1). This paper suggests potential solutions including addressing toxic workplace culture, updating policies and protocols, ensuring meaningful consultation with Indigenous peoples, and increasing government protections.

show abstract

“…Whether the population growth and industrialization is driven by oil and natural gas extraction or mining operations, Ruddell and Ray (2018) contend that booms have a life course where the social ills are magnified in the initial phases of the boom. This is because more workers are required for the construction of the extraction facilities as well as modes of distribution such as pipelines, and these communities are unprepared for the rapid population increase that follows.…”

Section: Boom-crime Relationshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oil and Disorder: Youth Crime in North Dakota Boom Communities

Ruddell

O’Connor

Wilson

2022

Criminal Justice Review

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Juveniles contribute to crime in natural resource-based boom communities, but there has been very little research examining the extent of their involvement. To respond to this gap in the literature, two indicators of youth arrests and court referrals in North Dakota—the state hardest hit by the 2000s oil boom—were examined. Although arrest rates for North Dakota youth were more than two times higher than the national average in 2019, almost three-quarters of them were for minor offenses. In addition, arrest and court referral rates in oil-producing counties were lower than those for non oil-producing counties. When controlling for demographic and economic factors, and county-specific fixed effects in panel analyses from 2011 to 2019, oil production is negatively associated with youth arrest rates, but positively associated with juvenile court referrals. However, oil-producing counties had very strong county-specific fixed effects which on average raised youth arrest and court referral rates. Arrest rates were also positively associated with unemployment rates while median household income was negatively associated with Group B offenses and juvenile court referrals. Implications for future research into the boom-crime relationship are discussed in light of these findings.

show abstract

Profiling the life course of resource-based boomtowns: A key step in crime prevention

Abstract: -

Cited by 5 publications

References 15 publications

A perfect storm: Violence toward women in the Bakken oil patch

A perfect storm: Violence toward women in the Bakken oil patch

Mapping Danger

Oil and Disorder: Youth Crime in North Dakota Boom Communities

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About