1.2 Explain the reasons that certain crimes go
unreported (4 marks)
Personal
Fear: victims may fear consequences from the offender for their own personal
health or their families could also be another reason for unreported crime. An
example would be domestic abuse as the victim could be afraid that they may be
attacked again and will not report for their own personal health or they may want to
protect their family
Shame: shame or embarrassment even if it relates to a sexual act may intercept
someone from reporting such crimes as not the may not want others to judge and
know they are vulnerable. An example of this would be sexual assault as victim may
feel they could be blamed for the crime and that the police may not believe them.
Disinterest: people may not always care about what has happened as they are
disinterested. For example a moral crime, seeing a homeless person using drugs
because this has become socially normal and isn't a police priority.
Not affected: If an incident does not involve or relate to an individual that then
could lead to them leaving it to another person to report as they believe it does not
involve them. For example vandalism may not concern others as it is not their
property so people do not feel the need to report it
Social and Cultural
Lack of knowledge→people are unaware it is a crime or also don't have the
knowledge of how to report a crime, for example a technological crime such as
cyberbullying as the victim may not feel as though it is a serious event and unaware
that it is actually a crime so they feel the need to deal with it on their own. This can
be seen as in the end of the year March 2020 as 1 in 5 children aged 10-15
experienced a type of online bullying and 1 in 4 did not report their experiences to
anyone
unreported (4 marks)
Personal
Fear: victims may fear consequences from the offender for their own personal
health or their families could also be another reason for unreported crime. An
example would be domestic abuse as the victim could be afraid that they may be
attacked again and will not report for their own personal health or they may want to
protect their family
Shame: shame or embarrassment even if it relates to a sexual act may intercept
someone from reporting such crimes as not the may not want others to judge and
know they are vulnerable. An example of this would be sexual assault as victim may
feel they could be blamed for the crime and that the police may not believe them.
Disinterest: people may not always care about what has happened as they are
disinterested. For example a moral crime, seeing a homeless person using drugs
because this has become socially normal and isn't a police priority.
Not affected: If an incident does not involve or relate to an individual that then
could lead to them leaving it to another person to report as they believe it does not
involve them. For example vandalism may not concern others as it is not their
property so people do not feel the need to report it
Social and Cultural
Lack of knowledge→people are unaware it is a crime or also don't have the
knowledge of how to report a crime, for example a technological crime such as
cyberbullying as the victim may not feel as though it is a serious event and unaware
that it is actually a crime so they feel the need to deal with it on their own. This can
be seen as in the end of the year March 2020 as 1 in 5 children aged 10-15
experienced a type of online bullying and 1 in 4 did not report their experiences to
anyone
