We hope our state and local leaders pay attention to a troubling study by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

The study examined how survivors of domestic violence in rural communities face additional barriers and burdens in reporting the crime.

Some of the barriers are logistical — rural areas do not have the same infrastructure, the same availability of public transit and health care services that more urban and suburban communities have.

Other barriers are more rooted in perceptions — perceptions about how police will handle reports and about what neighbors will say.

We, unfortunately, do not believe there are any easy answers — though we believe some of the steps offered in the study are reasonable first steps toward improving the situation.

Police departments and victims’ services agencies should continually assess how they can improve communication and trust.

Public education campaigns can help correct both misperceptions about how neighborhoods and communities perceive these awful crimes and about the availability of assistance for survivors escaping dangerous situations.

What we hope is that our elected leaders will reflect on the issues raised in this study and, with diligent and transparent debate, attempt to find ways of further addressing these deficiencies so that all survivors of domestic violence feel comfortable reporting these crimes so that abusers are held accountable.