Module 5
Why Victims Don't Report

Why Victims Don't Report

As noted in earlier modules, victims of intimate partner sexual abuse, like victims of any type of domestic violence, stay in these relationships and do not report for a variety of reasons. Many still feel a loving connection to the abuser and just want the violence to stop; they hope the relationship can be mended. Others are constrained by pressure to remain from family, community and clergy; fear of the abuser; economic dependence; and a mistaken belief that keeping the family together is best for the couple's children. There are additional issues for victims of intimate partner sexual abuse. They experience unique shame and trauma, they may not realize that sexual assault by an intimate partner is a crime, and they fear the disbelief and disrespect that women who allege any type of sexual misconduct typically encounter.

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