Under-reporting usually refers to some issue, incident, statistic, etc., that individuals, responsible agencies, or news media have not reported, or have reported as less than the actual level or amount. Under-reporting of crimes, for example, makes it hard to figure the actual incidence of crimes.
Under-reporting is a failure in data reporting.
Crime
Various estimates have been provided in relation to under-reporting of crimes across the world. According to the American Medical Association (1995), sexual violence, and rape in particular, is considered the most under-reported violent crime.
Common reasons for individuals not reporting crime include fear of not being believed, insecurity, and fear of getting into trouble. These reasons are most common for not reporting rape.
It is commonly assumed that most of the rape cases go unreported;
some estimates go up to or above 90%.
(See also Rape reporting.) Non-recognition of domestic violence may lead to under-reporting.
Anti-LGBT+ crime
Under-reporting of violence against LGBT people including homicide is widespread, and is more likely to arise in countries that criminalise same-sex relationships, especially
Islamism that impose the death penalty for them.
[Max Bearak and Darla Cameron.
(16 June 2016). Here are the 10 countries where homosexuality may be punished by death. Washington Post.] Even under democratic rule of law governance where there are LGBT rights protections, under-reporting occurs. A US investigation by the Center for Public Integrity in collaboration with
ProPublica and News21 found that violent attacks and other
hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans "are consistently not reported and prosecuted because of chronic distrust between the LGBTQ community and police":
In Australia, the New South Wales Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues A Report into Youth Violence in New South Wales, published September 1995 noted significant under-reporting of LGBT bullying by victims out of fear of Revenge, and outing to their families and peers, that had led the Department of Education to underestimate its prevalence:[Maslen, Geoff. (11 April 1997). Teenage gays sue over gang attacks. TES (magazine). United Kingdom.]
Child abuse
According to the National Children's Alliance, over 600,000 children in the US were
child abuse and neglect in 2021, the most recent year for which there was national data, with the actual number likely under-reported because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in that year. An estimated 1.8 million children received prevention services.
[ 'National Statistics on Child Abuse'. National Children's Alliance.][ 'Total number of victims of child abuse in the United States from 2012 to 2021 '. Society > Crime & Law Enforcement: Statista.] Lack of mandatory reporting of child abuse
[ 'What is child abuse?'. NSPCC.] in certain countries has contributed to under-reporting. In 2024, 27 EU countries did not have mandatory reporting,
[ Provisions on professionals' legal obligation to report cases of child abuse, neglect and violence. Fundamental Rights Agency. European Union] while child abuse that has occurred in religious institutions such as in the Catholic Church has been under-reported through
Cover-up by church authorities.
[Ephrat Livni. (15 August 2018). 'The Catholic Church’s seven-point system for covering up abuse'. Quartz.] This practice also happens in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
and other like intuitions.
Children themselves may feel unable to report abuse because of fear of
revenge by their abuser, or embarrassment, humiliation, or thinking they would not be believed. Moreover, a child may be too young to have the words to explain what is happening to them. If the abuser has introduced the child to drugs or pornography, the child may fear getting into trouble. Fear and guilt thus play a role in making the child think they have done something wrong. An abuser may also manifest overt generosity to their victim by showering them with gifts and affection, so the child may irrationally come to love their abuser and not want to report them.
[ 'Why children do not tell about abuse.'. parentsprotect.co.uk website.]
Fraud
In 2012, the universities of
Leicester and
Westminster, while collaborating with Serious Organised Crime Agency, estimated that 200,000 people had been victims of online dating fraud. The report included instances of under-reported frauds.
Murder
Murders are sometimes not reported,
due to the fear of the alleged murderer's connection with another murderer, or because of a settlement. Forced suicide has led to
honour killings going unreported.
[Gorar, M. (2022). 'Honour Suicide and Forced Suicide in the UK.'
]
/ref>[R Reddy, 'Domestic Violence or Cultural Tradition? Approaches to "Honour Killing" as Species and Subspecies in English Legal Practice' in AK Gill et al. 'Honour' Killing & Violence (Palgrave MacMillan 2014) 29.]
The reported murder rates in China have been criticized for under-reporting unsolved murders due to police salaries being based on the rate of solved cases.[June Cheng. The puzzle of China’s low crime rates. 2018-10-25. Accessed 2019-09-05]
Disease
Under-reported Dengue fever in India,[Haroon Shabbir, Sajeel Saeed, Muhammad Farhan, Khawar Abbas, Mohammad Ebad ur Rehman, Fahad Gul, and Jawad Basita. (31 July 2022). Poliomyelitis in Pakistan: Challenges to polio eradication and future prospects. National Library of Medicine.]
Adverse events of injection
In July 2024, former director of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Robert R. Redfield commented that the FDA underreported adverse events of the Covid-19 vaccine to delude the public that the vaccine was effective and safe. He added that the Joe Biden Administration's decision to mandate the Covid vaccine was the biggest mistake of all.
Population
Under-reporting of births and infant deaths in countries such as China has been documented.
See also
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Fear of crime
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Institute for Public Accuracy
External links
