ABSTRACT
This chapter offers experiences in developing and delivering courses devoted to teaching about rural crime at the university level. Understanding the realities of rural crime reveals how social structure and local context combine to create great examples or lessons for teaching about crime and deviance in general. Many criminology graduates will find themselves working in rural areas irrespective of the career they choose, and they will need an understanding of the nuances of small communities in order to be successful in their work. Environmental crime is included as it frequently impacts upon rural areas, including farm and rural communities. In Australia, police reported an increase in crimes such as the burning of the squatters' fences and haystacks and livestock theft. Cultivation practices have become more sophisticated, however, during the past 25 or so years in response to changing geopolitical, legal and drug market pressures.
