# how many rapes are actually reported?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rapes-are-actually-reported/239347>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 10, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rapes-are-actually-reported/239347 "2004-04-10T18:39:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chefIL11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chefIL11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefIL11)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rapes-are-actually-reported/239347/1 "2004-04-10T18:39:21Z")

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I’m having a debate with a friend and we need the facts… how many rapes actually get reported in the US? He said one out of ten but i disagree.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rapes-are-actually-reported/239347/2 "2004-04-10T19:07:29Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> A recently published eight-year study indicates that when perpetrators of rape are current or former husbands or boyfriends, the crimes go unreported to the police 77 percent of the time. When the perpetrators are friends or acquaintances, the rapes go unreported 61 percent of the time; and when the perpetrators are strangers, the rapes go unreported 54 percent of the time.

From [here](http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ncvrw/2003/pg5n.html).

However, how they arrive at those percentages if they’re unreported is not explained.

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**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rapes-are-actually-reported/239347/3 "2004-04-10T19:16:41Z")

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Any numbers about unreported anything are estimates at best. How can you count things that aren’t there?

Sometimes this kind of number is arrived at by asking a group of people “Have you ever been \<raped, a crime victim, etc.\> in the past and not reported it?” You don’t know how the questioner or the respondent is defining “rape.” There are some extremists who would define acquiesing to marital sex when you’re not really in the mood as “rape.” Others only count it as “really” rape if you fight nearly to the death and are brutally beaten as you resist. And all shades of reasonableness in between.

Any stats you hear about this are a WAG at best, depending on the means and the motives of those who compile them.