Unmasking Unreported Crime: Idaho Crime Victimization Survey

Unmasking Unreported Crime: 

Idaho Crime Victimization Survey 

2008 

BJS/JRSA National Conference 

October 23 rd , 2009 

St. Louis, MO

Purpose: 

• In March through May of 2009, Idaho State Police in 

collaboration with the University of Idaho conducted a 

victimization survey. 

• The purpose of the survey was: 

▫ To add to previous victimization research by ISP. 

▫ To have a better understanding of the amount of 

non-reported crime occurring in Idaho. 

▫ To understand the number of victims of domestic 

violence, sexual assault and stalking.

Methodology: 

• Randomly sampled 7,000 landline households, 

of which 2,668 agreed to participate 

▫ response rate of 48.2% and a participation rate of 

64.1% 

• Also sampled 5,000 mobile lines with 566 

agreeing to participate 

▫ 20% response rate and 35.8% participation rate 

• Total sample response rate: 38.9% with 56.3% 

participation rate.

Methodology Cont. 

• Questions were asked concerning: 

▫ property crime 

▫ violent crime 

▫ sexual assault 

▫ domestic violence 

▫ perceptions of crime and neighborhood safety 

▫ satisfaction of police services

• Much of 

Idaho is 

covered by 

mountains. 

• Most (approx. 

75%) of 

Idahoans live 

in the Snake 

River plain. 

• Idaho has 15.6 

people per 

square mile 

(2003 est.)

Results: 

• Demographics: 

▫ Median age: 54.4 (range 18-98) 

▫ Gender: 44.3% Male, 55.7% Female 

▫ Race: 93.2% White 

▫ Ethnicity: 5.1% Hispanic 

▫ Educational level: Only 6.1% had less than high school. 

• 72.4% had some college, technical school, or above 

▫ Living area: 63.3% Urban 

36.7% Rural 

▫ Employment: 44.1% full-time, 29.9% retired 

▫ Marital Status: 69.2% Married 

▫ Children in household under 18 = 38.3% 

▫ Median Income Range: $40,000 - $49,999 

▫ Average number of years in Idaho: 30.8

Reported versus Unreported Crime 

• 65.3% of the total survey population experienced 

a crime in 2008. 

▫ Of these, 49.7% reported a crime. 

• Reported crime is dependant upon severity of 

crime and characteristics of victims. 

• Victims who have reported a crime have 

different perceptions of law enforcement. 

▫ Weigh the odds of whether the crime will be 

resolved better with law enforcement involvement 

or without.

All Crime Victims: 

Reported crime: 

• Urban 

• HS grad 

• Employed part time* 

• Female* 

• Under $44,000 

• Non-white 

• Hispanic 

• 18 to 60 

• Living with partner, 

separated, divorced* 

Not reported crime: 

• Rural 

• College degree* 

• Student, homemaker* 

• Male* 

• Over $75,000* 

• White 

• Non-Hispanic 

• Over 60 

• Married, Single (never 

married)* 

*Significant Difference

Property Crime: 

Total Property Crime: 1450 incidents 

43% reported, 57% not reported 

• Pick-pocket: 32 victims 

▫ Reported 62.6% ; not reported 34.4% 

• Vandalism: 457 incidents, 295 victims 

▫ Reported: 50.8% reported; not reported 49.2% 

• Motor vehicle thefts: 352 incidents, 213 victims 

▫ Reported: 40.6%; not reported 59.4% 

• Larceny: 427 incidents; 238 victims 

▫ Reported 37.7%; not reported 62.3% 

• Theft from inside building: 182 incidents, 113 victims 

▫ Reported 37.4% of incidents, not reported 62.6%

Property Crime Cont. n=806 

• Not reported because (could answer more than one): 

▫ Incident not important, it was a minor offense (23.8%) 

▫ You believed the police couldn't do anything to help 

(19.4%) 

▫ You dealt with the incident in another way (7.2%) 

▫ You felt the crime was due to your own carelessness 

(5.4%) 

▫ You did not want to involve the police (4.7%) 

▫ The offender was a close family member or friend (3.3%) 

▫ Other (36.2%)

Property Crime Cont. 

Types of “Other” responses: 

▫ Didn’t know when it happened 

▫ Couldn’t prove it 

▫ Didn't even think to report it 

▫ Didn't want to go through the hassle/too busy

Property Crime Victim Characteristics 

Reported 

• Urban 

• Some college, associates 

• Employed full-time, 

retired 

• Over 60 

• Separated, divorced 

• Under $44,000 

• Female 

• Hispanic 

• Race, no difference 

Not reported 

• Rural 

• High School grad, Bachelor’s 

• Student, homemaker, 

unemployed 

• 18 –30 and 46 –60 

• living with partner, single 

• $45,000 to $75,000 

• Males 

• Non-Hispanic 

• Race no difference

Aggravated Assault: 

• 78 incidents/48 victims 

• Reported 47.4%; not reported 52.6% 


▫ Dealt with crime in another way (32.0%) 

▫ Incident was not important, minor offense (28.0%) 

▫ Offender was a close family member or friend (28.0%) 

▫ Believed the police could do nothing to help (20.0%) 

▫ Did not want to involve the police (8.0%) 

▫ Other (4.0%) 

• Afraid of losing job

Simple Assault: 



• Not reported because: 






▫ Afraid of offender (2.0%) 

▫ Other (11.2%) 

• Police were already involved, were already aware of 

situation 

• Happened at work 

• Don’t know

Robbery 


• Reported 80%, not reported 20% 


▫ 100% incident not important, minor offense

Violent Crime: Aggravated Assault, Simple 

Assault, and Robbery 

Reported 

• Urban* 

• Associates degree 

• Employed 

• $25,000 to $44,000* 

• Females 

• 31 to 60 

• Married, living with 

partner 

• Ethnicity, no difference 


Not reported 

• Rural* 

• Master’s or higher* 

• Not employed 

• Over $75,000* 

• Male 

• 18 – 30 

• Single* 

• Ethnicity, no difference 



Lifetime Rape: 


• Reported 16.0%, not reported 83.4% 








• Other (25.1%)

Lifetime Rape Cont. 


• Very young 

• Didn’t realize was rape until after 

• Embarrassed /ashamed 

• Blamed self/thought I would be in trouble 

• No proof/Didn’t think would be believed 

• Different time, did not talk about this then 

• Parents didn't want to report 

• Told it was their fault 

• Boyfriend so didn’t think had case 

• Was intoxicated 

• I don't know/just didn’t

Rape 2008 

• 4 incidents and victims 

• 75% reported, 25% not reported 

▫ Not reported because: 

• Afraid of offender (100%)

Sexual Assault (not including rape) 

• Lifetime Attempted Rape: 732 incidents; 224 victims 


▫ 2008 attempted rape: 12 incidents/12 victims 

• Reported 0%; Not reported 100% 

• Lifetime Sexual Assault with Object: 84 incidents/37 

victims 


▫ 2008 Sexual Assault with Object: 2 victims 

• Reported 0%; Not reported 100% 

• Lifetime Forcible Fondling: 1767 incidents/303 victims 

▫ Reported 2.5%, not reported 96.3% 

▫ 2008 Forcible Fondling: 24 incidents/13 victims 

• Reported 0%; Not reported 100%

Sexual Assault Cont. (not including 

rape) 

• Reasons for not reporting (could choose more than 

one): 







• Other (44.6%)

Lifetime Sexual Assault Cont. 


• Too young/naïve 

• Didn’t know what to do 

• No one believed 

• Different era /people didn’t do it back then/didn’t have option back then 

• Didn’t realize what happened till over /drinking 

• Embarrassment/didn’t want to hurt parents 

• Didn't know I could /didn’t know was an option 

• Attacker ran away/didn’t know who did it/couldn’t identify 

• Told parents, parents didn’t report 

• Out of country /in another state/police far away 

• Thought it was her fault 

• Never thought about involving the police/never occurred to him 

• Fear /feared getting in trouble 

• Blamed for it at the time it happened 

• Don't know why

2008 Sexual Assault (not including 

rape) 

• Reasons for not reporting (could choose more 

than one): 

▫ Incident was not important, minor offense 

(42.3%) 

▫ Offender was a close family member or friend 

(19.2%) 


▫ Believed the police could do nothing to help 

(15.4%) 


▫ Did not want to involve the police (3.8%)

Sexual Assault Victim Characteristics 

Reported 

• Rural 

• Less than 12 th and HS 

grad* 

• Employed full/part-time* 

• Living with partner, 

separated, divorced* 

• Less than$75,000* 

• Females* 

• Hispanic* 

• 18 to 45* 


Not reported 

• Urban 

• Some college and college 

degree* 

• Not employed, homemaker, 

retired* 

• Married, single, widowed* 

• $75,000 and up* 

• Males* 

• Non-Hispanic* 

• 46 and up* 



Lifetime Emotional Domestic Violence 







▫ Believed the police couldn’t or wouldn’t do anything to 

help (14.9%) 



▫ Other (25.2%)

Lifetime Emotional Domestic Violence 


• Never occurred to her/thought part of being married/seemed normal 

• Shame/embarrassment 

• Police wouldn’t have done anything back then 

• Very young and immature/too young to know better 

• Trying to make things work/try to make marriage work 

• Thought the person would change 

• The abuser was policeman/would ruin career 

• Felt like deserved it, was her fault 

• Was manipulative/brainwashed by relationship 

• Didn't want to embarrass children 

• Unsure /just didn’t go 

• Frustration 

• Drunk 

• In the military 

• Fear spouse would be deported

Emotional Domestic Violence: 2008 


• 3.0% reported; 97.0% not reported 

• Reasons for not reporting (could answer more than 

one): 

▫ It was a private matter (30.9%) 

▫ The abuse wasn’t that bad (27.3%) 

▫ The police wouldn’t or couldn’t do anything to help 

(18.2%) 

▫ The abuse would get worse (14.5%) 

▫ It might endanger the children (5.5%) 

▫ The offender wouldn’t allow a report (3.6%) 

▫ Other (23.6%)

Emotional Domestic Violence: 2008 

Types of “Other” Responses: 

• Afraid 

• “Can’t quantify” 

• Relationship ended 

• Trust issues 

• Didn’t feel it was appropriate 

• Political reasons 

• Marital spat 

• Shame 

• Just didn’t care to

Lifetime Physical Domestic Violence 


• Reported 18.3%; Not reported 81.7% 




▫ Offender was close family member or friend (13.9%) 




• Other (21.1%)

Lifetime Physical Domestic Violence 


• Shame/embarrassment 

• Young/stupid 

• Women just didn't report back then 

• Felt deserved it/both at fault 

• Offender was in military /police officer/deputy sheriff 

• Hoped it would stop on its own 

• Didn’t realize was illegal 

• Didn't want to split home/lose marriage 

• Didn't want the abuser prosecuted 

• Taught to not say anything 

• Offender was drinking alcohol 

• Unsure /just didn’t/no reason

Physical Domestic Violence: 2008 


• 9.8% reported, 90.2% not reported 


▫ The abuse wasn’t that bad (25.0%) 

▫ It was a private matter (15.0%) 

▫ Dealt with it in another way (10.0%) 

▫ The abuse would get worse (5.0%) 

▫ The police wouldn’t do anything (5.0%)

Domestic Violence Victim Characteristics 

Reported 

• Rural 

• Less than HS, HS grad, 

associates* 

• Employed full, part time* 

• Living with partner* 

• Females* 

• Hispanic 

• Race no difference 

• Under 45* 

• Under $44,000 

Not reported 

• Urban 

• Bachelor’s, Masters 

degree* 

• Not employed, retired* 

• Married* 

• Males* 

• Non-hispanic 

• Race no difference 

• Over 60* 

• Over $45,000 


Conclusions: 

• Reporting of crime is dependant upon the 

severity of the crime and characteristics of the 

victim. 

• Need to keep examining reasons why crime is 

not reported to have a better understanding of 

how and why victims utilize the criminal justice 

system. 

▫ Top two reasons given for not reporting crime: 

was a minor offense or the victim dealt with the 

situation in another way.

Thank You! 

• For questions concerning this research, please 

contact: 

Janeena Wing 

Idaho State Police 

Principal Research Analyst 

Janeena.Wing@isp.idaho.gov

Unmasking Unreported Crime: Idaho Crime Victimization Survey

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