Why Do Victims Report Domestic Violence

In someone home throughout the world right now is getting either physically or emotionally abuse by either their spouse or partner. There is a chance that they will call the police and report the incident and there is an another chance that, that will not happen. By reporting the incident can save a life, but the chance of not could mean it is to late. There many reason why some victims report domestic violence and others do not. Out of all the reason there is, there is one that is the greatest because people face this emotion everyday which is fear. The victims that over come this and think of protection call the police. Domestic violence affects every culture, gender, age, and socioeconomic. The police has been responding to domestic violence …show more content…
About 1/2 of domestic violence situations are reported to the police ( “Domestic Violence Resources,” 2014). Some study reports that the most common reason that victims do not report this crime because they feel that it is a private matter and it needs to be dealt with in the home. They may also fear that their partner will come after them, if they report it. Even though many victims do not report domestic violence, half of the calls made to the police department are about violent crimes pertaining towards domestic violence (“Domestic Violence Resources,” 2014). Felson, Messner, Hoskin, and Deane (2002) stated that victims are going to call more, if the incentives is high and the cost is low. The victims that call the police are doing so for protection and/ or to stop future violence against them. Some may call to get justice and others to protect some thing else other than themselves, which could be their children. Felson et al., (2002) stated that the incentive to call the police will change base on if the violence is great. Victims that have experienced minor attacks of violence from there spouse may not feel there is a need for police to intervene. Also they will not call, if they feel that no punishment will be given (Felson at al., 2002). Buzawa, Buzawa, and Stark (2012) mention in the text that the National Family Violence Survey stated there was 6.7% of incidents reported to the police in a 1985 sample study and 14% of these report were those that report serious violence against them. There are five cost factors that can cause victims not to call. The first one is that the victims are embarrassed that this has happen to them and also status (Felson et al., 2002). The next factor is they want to protect the offender from criminal prosecution. The most common reason we hear is that they fear reprisal. Also that the victims may be doing illegal activities by them self