Increased Risks for Children and Youth in the Bakken Oil Fields.

• In Event: Crime and Violence in Context

Abstract

An exploratory study, funded by National Institute of Justice, describes the perceptions of 185 professionals and community members residing in the Bakken oil field of western North Dakota and eastern Montana. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the oil industry on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. The findings of the qualitative component of the study noted concerns about the impact of oil development on children and youth. This presentation will describe those finding within a larger context of risks to children in the criminogenic environment of the Bakken oil fields. Noteworthy is the increase in reports of child abuse and neglect and stress on child welfare service providers working in rural isolated areas. A larger context included families arriving from out-of-the-areas with a past history of significant family violence. The lack of access to affordable housing created additional concerns for the safety of children and youth residing in temporary trailer parks. An increase in fears of physical risks for child welfare workers, who must work in tandem with law enforcement to ensure their personal safety while visiting homes, was discussed in interviews with human service workers.

Authors

• Thomasine Heitkamp, University of North Dakota

• Tracy Evanson, University of North Dakota