My example write up for Changing Awareness of Crime AC 1.2 - explain the reasons that certain crimes are unreported. In the controlled assessment, I achieved 96/100 (100/100 UMS marks).
explain the reasons that certain crimes are unreported
ac 12
changing awareness of crime
Written for
A/AS Level
WJEC
Criminology
Changing Awareness of Crime
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AC 1.2 - Explain the reasons that certain crimes are unreported
Domestic Violence
On average, victims are domestically abused 35 times before they report. Even after this, only 47%
of domestic abuse is reported. In the brief, it is said that Mr Q has “lost his temper and hit his wife” a
“few times” - it is not said that Mrs Q has ever reported it. One personal reason that domestic abuse
is underreported is fear; the victim may be scared that the abuse may get worse or that they will not
be believed. Especially because the victim lives with the offender, reporting could have severe
consequences. Furthermore, domestic abuse may be underreported because of shame. Victims may
feel ashamed that they are being abused by someone they love and would want to keep the
appearance of a happy family to the outside world. Additionally, men who are domestically abused
tend not to report because they are embarrassed that they are not fitting society’s idea of
masculinity. There is also the concern that they would be reversely accused of being the offender.
49% of male victims fail to tell anyone that they are victims of domestic abuse. One social reason
that domestic abuse goes underreported is complexity. Domestic abuse is a hidden crime – it is
committed behind closed doors and normally, only the victim and offender are aware. Over time,
victims may learn to hide signs of domestic abuse, such as using makeup to cover facial bruising or
wearing clothes that hide other physical signs. Because of this, friends and family of the victim are
unaware of the abuse and do not report it to the police.
Hate Crimes
In the UK, 170,000 hate crimes go unreported every year. In the brief, Mrs Q experiences a hate
crime – a man shouts at her, saying “Go back to where you came from”. One personal reason that
hate crime goes underreported is that any witnesses who see it happen may feel that they are not
affected by the crime, therefore they would not feel the need to report it. Because hate crimes are
directed at minority groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community, people who do not identify as being
part of this group may not feel that the crime affects them and that it is not their responsibility to
report. Another personal reason that hate crime is underreported is that victims may be scared that
they will not be taken seriously or helped by police. For example, ethnic minority groups may be
scared to report racially-motivated crimes due to past treatment of ethnic minorities by the police,
even if law enforcement assures the public that times have changed. One social reason hate crime is
underreported is that the public may not be aware that some of these offences are actually crimes.
Even though society recognises things such as homophobia and racism as deviant, individuals may
not realise that they are actually illegal and can be reported. Another social reason hate crime is
underreported is lack of public concern. Back in the 1950s, racism was the cultural norm. For all it is
now illegal, people that are not affected by it may not worry about reporting it or preventing it.
However, attitudes have changed and reporting is increasing, but the statistic shown highlights that
hate crime is still a majorly underreported crime and that more needs to be done.
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