Rural Criminology Studies in Africa: Geographical Status

This chapter delves into the relatively underexplored realm of rural criminology in Africa, highlighting the scarcity of research in this field and the limited visibility of Southern scholars, leading to a significant gap in understanding crime within rural and agrarian cultures. A qualitative content analysis method was employed, reviewing 119 publications from 16 African countries since 2008. These works were categorised based on publication year, geographic location, definitions of rurality, applied theories and prevalent crime types. The chapter explores challenges in studying rural crime, discussing the historical development of rural criminology in Africa and the complexities in defining rurality in this context. Additionally, it scrutinises policing strategies and their implications concerning social, economic and political factors unique to these regions. The research underscores the need for interdisciplinary approaches urging the application of critical criminology to challenge conventional perspectives. The chapter identifies gaps in existing studies and proposes recommendations for future research on rural crime in Africa.