Among the most under-reported crimes in the United States, one of the leading positions is occupied by sexual assault. The statistic shows that about 65 percent of sexual assault female victims prefer to avoid reporting to police, while many of them keep it secret from everyone (Mills, 2018). One of the reasons is a humiliating and terrifying nature of this experience. Other causes include but are not limited to the shock, fear for safety, the feelings of shame and embarrassment, an expectation to be blamed, and others.
Unfortunately, a lack of reports is not a valid proof that attempted and successful assaults did not occur or are exaggerated. According to the research, the rates of false claims of sexual violence are low and vary between 2-7 percent (Mills, 2018). This serves as an evidence that the number of assaulted women preferring not to report is far more than those making false claims. In fact, the number of sexual assaults actually reported to police varies between 16 to 35 percent (“Reporting sexual,” n.d.). If an offender is a former or actual sexual partner, reporting does not exceed a 25 percent rate (“Reporting sexual,” n.d.). In cases of an offender being an acquaintance or a friend, this rate is around 18-40 percent (“Reporting sexual,” n.d.). The highest percentage of reports is when an offender turns out to be a stranger – from 46 up to 66 percent (“Reporting sexual,” n.d.). Therefore, a victim’s relationships with the offender might be a defining factor in the reporting likelihood.
The teenagers are usually unlikely to report, as they usually feel uncomfortable to discuss the sexual issues with adults. They might also keep silent due to the fear of reprisal, belief that the police cannot or would not help, unwilling of their families or friends being aware of sexual assault, having not enough proof, and others. Another common reason for sexual violence understatement is that the victims cannot provide an explanation to family or police. Some victims underestimate the crime itself, considering it not severe enough or feeling unsure about the offender’s intent.
Additionally, the low rates of reporting result into only around 10 percent of the prosecuted rapists, whereas not more than 5 percent of cases end with a felony conviction. According to reports, “Only 3 percent of rapists will spend a day in prison. The other 97 percent walk free” (“Reporting sexual assault,” n.d.). The public might be unaware of the number of any crime victims blaming themselves for their victimization.
Moreover, there is a cultural predisposition to perpetuating some rape myths in society. It is stated that “one of those is that women excessively exaggerate as victims, that they make things up, that there are misinterpretations. And so, as opposed to having the woman’s testimony be considered valid, or even giving her the benefit of the doubt of the innocence of not being a liar, the culture in general attributes lying to women who come forward” (“Why we often,” n.d.). Hence, the society makes the victims seek the reasons in themselves and genuinely believe that rape is their fault.
Some victims think that they will be able to move forward from the sexual assault experience only by forgetting about it and not reporting to the criminal justice institutions. They would instead feel comfortable applying to the rape recovery centers or similar services providers not to be re-victimized during the criminal justice process. Therefore, the officially available national data reflecting the rates of sexual violence cannot be considered correct.
References
Mills, K. I. (2018). Statement of APA president regarding the science behind why women may not report sexual assault. American Psychological Association.
“Reporting sexual assault: why survivors often don’t.” (n.d.). Web.
“Why we often don’t believe women who report sexual assault.” (2019). PBS.