Why are so many crimes left unreported in a country as modern as the United States, where freedom, liberty and justice for all form key pillars of the constitution? Rape is one example of a crime that is grossly underreported in the Unites States.
The National Crime Victimization Survey — which is conducted via household survey — counted , victims of rape and sexual assault in However, in that same year FBI data revealed only 85, rape or attempted rape cases were reported as crimes to local law enforcement authorities.
If one does the math, it is not hard to see that something is not adding up. Perhaps it is because the NCVS does not allow for privacy when conducting in-house interviews, dissuading victims for whom the abuser is a family member from giving evidence against them. Or perhaps it is the lack of uniform definition of rape that deters some from ever prosecuting or reporting it officially. But there are countless other reasons why rape victims rarely make official reports in the United States, some of which have been documented publically.
One particularly damning report released in by the U. Read More: Police Report Types. They don't want anyone to know: Emotional distress has a major influence on the behavior of crime victims, including whether the victim reports the crime at all. Emotions such as anxiety, shame and depression can prompt people to keep the crime hidden or to refuse to seek help from other sources, such as counselors or family members. Generally, victims are more likely to call the police when their crimes result in physical injuries that cannot be kept secret.
Fear of reprisal: Reporting a crime puts the victim into contact with the criminal justice system and potentially with the perpetrator, which can be scary. Many victims who fail to report their experiences do so because they worry about the repercussions or they do not want to get the perpetrator into trouble. Victims of sexual assault and domestic violence often cite fear of reprisal as a reason for keeping their silence.
Believing the police could not or would not do anything: Victims who have little faith in the police system, believing it to be ineffective or inefficient, are less likely to report the crime. Believing the crime is too trivial to report: Over 78 percent of vehicle thefts were reported to the police in , but only This suggests that people have a perception of a hierarchy of crimes and so are much less likely to report minor crimes — those they do not believe are important enough to take to the police.
It is entirely up to the victims whether they report a crime to the police, and clearly victims have their own reasons for not reporting. However, research by the University of Iowa suggests that victims who report their experiences to the police are 22 percent less likely to become future victims of crime than those who do not report.
It all contributes to a sense that if you become a victim of lower-level crime in modern Britain, you can't expect to get justice. Meanwhile the National Audit Office has found the government has so far only increased prison places by , despite a pledge in to deliver 10, places over four years.
The NAO's report said the building programme was delayed because of disagreements about funding. It found 3, places were still under construction. There are currently more than 83, people locked up - and the number is forecast to increase. The report said analysis by the Ministry of Justice MoJ showed that from October , demand for prison places could begin to outstrip supply, as an increase in police officer numbers potentially leads to more offenders being caught. Further pressures are expected because of sentencing reforms, with the most serious offenders spending longer periods behind bars.
The NAO report also criticised prison conditions, with poor safety reaching "record levels" and "huge maintenance backlogs". Number of suspects charged with crime hits new low.
The crimes least likely to be solved. PM plans prison places and extends stop-and-search. How dangerous is life inside our prisons? Boris Johnson's crime promises crunched. Image source, Getty Images. The public are losing faith in the criminal justice system as police workloads affect outcomes, a report finds. Number of suspects charged with crime hits new low The crimes least likely to be solved.
Losing faith. Getty Images.
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