Duty to Report?: Contextualizing Crime Witnesses' (Un)willingness to Help Victims in Need

• In Event: Bystander Intervention and Reporting of Crime to Police

Abstract

With relatively few crimes witnessed by police themselves, the criminal justice system depends upon others -- both victims and witnesses -- to notify police when crime occurs. While much is known about victim reporting, there is comparatively little known about witnesses who report crime to police or choose to help victims in other ways. Based on a survey of 1147 persons who witnessed crime in the past five years, this study provides a descriptive overview of crime witness responses to crime, and their reasons for helping or not helping victims. According to data, half of crime witnesses report to police and one third intervene in other ways, including recording crime, an increasingly common response to certain types of crimes such as police misconduct. Witnesses who record crime indicate that they do so to deter offenders and bring them to justice. Deterrence and punishment are also frequent reasons for reporting most crimes, whereas police distrust, fear of retaliation, and uncertainty about whether victims needed help are frequently stated reasons for why witnesses choose not to report. Given the importance of third parties for deterrence and justice, understanding witness responses and reasons may contribute to more effective strategies for crime prevention and community safety.

Author

• Karen G. Weiss, West Virginia University