A survey of 441 adults from four small rural Utah and Wyoming communities exhibiting highly divergent population growth patterns indicates residents of energy "boom" towns do not report criminal victimization experiences that differ from those in "nonboom" communities, but they do exhibit significantly higher fear of crime.…

Rural communities have experienced dramatic demographic, social, and economic transformations over the past 30 years. Historically characterized by close links between natural resources and social, cultural, and economic structures, few of today's rural communities remain heavily dependent upon traditional extractive industries like ranching,…

Using three distinct indicators of well-being, differences and similarities are examined between a Wyoming boom town and a Utah non-boom community. Results provide evidence of disruption on only one indicator and highlight the importance of disaggregating boom town populations into distinct subpopulations when assessing effects of rapid growth.…

Perceived well-being and personal stress indicators among various subpopulations in two small western towns (one stable, one affected by an energy development boom) are examined to assess the notion that residents of energy boom communities experience generalized social pathology and disruption. A 2-stage data collection process used…