A new study has found that repeat victims of violence in Scotland are less likely to report the crime to the police, even in cases involving serious injury and hospitalisation.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR), found that this is due to a number of factors, including:

  • A mistrust of the authorities
  • Social rules around "no grassing" (not reporting crime)
  • The risks associated with identifying as a victim

The study also found that official crime statistics underestimate the true extent of violence in Scotland, as many victims do not report the crime to the police.

The study's findings have important implications for the way that violence is addressed in Scotland. The researchers recommend that more needs to be done to build trust between victims and the police, and to challenge social norms around "no grassing".

Dr Susan A. Batchelor, a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow, and co-author of the study, said: “It is well established that violence is underreported to the police, especially in under-resourced communities and amongst marginalised groups, who experience higher levels of victimisation.”

Read the full research paper on the University of Glasgow news webpage

Repeat Violence research was featured in September 14th's FMQs.

Watch on the Scottish Parliamnet TV webpage Labour politician Pauline McNeill ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to tackle repeat offending

First published: 5 September 2023

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