UNDERSTANDING NON-REPORTING BEHAVIOUR IN CYBERCRIME VICTIMIZATION: AN OPINION STUDY

  • Unique Paper ID: 198410
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 11
  • PageNo: 9712-9718
  • Abstract:
  • The rapid expansion of digital technology has significantly transformed modern society, enhancing communication, economic activities, and access to information. However, this digital transformation has also led to a substantial rise in cybercrime, affecting individuals across different socio-economic backgrounds. Despite the increasing prevalence of cyber offences such as online fraud, identity theft, cyberstalking, and data breaches, a large number of incidents remain unreported. This phenomenon, often referred to as the “dark figure of crime,” presents serious challenges to law enforcement agencies and policymakers. This study aims to explore the reasons behind non-reporting behaviour among cybercrime victims through an opinion-based analytical approach. It examines psychological, social, cultural, and institutional factors influencing victims’ reluctance to report incidents. Key barriers identified include fear of social stigma, lack of awareness, distrust in authorities, privacy concerns, and the complexity of reporting procedures. The findings highlight that non-reporting not only distorts crime statistics but also weakens policy formulation and allows offenders to operate without accountability. The study emphasizes the need for improved digital literacy, simplified reporting mechanisms, and stronger institutional support to encourage reporting and enhance cybercrime prevention strategies.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{198410,
        author = {Jemi Suganthi. A and Nagaraj.P and Barathnathan S and Dexin Joyan},
        title = {UNDERSTANDING NON-REPORTING BEHAVIOUR IN CYBERCRIME VICTIMIZATION: AN OPINION STUDY},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {11},
        pages = {9712-9718},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=198410},
        abstract = {The rapid expansion of digital technology has significantly transformed modern society, enhancing communication, economic activities, and access to information. However, this digital transformation has also led to a substantial rise in cybercrime, affecting individuals across different socio-economic backgrounds. Despite the increasing prevalence of cyber offences such as online fraud, identity theft, cyberstalking, and data breaches, a large number of incidents remain unreported. This phenomenon, often referred to as the “dark figure of crime,” presents serious challenges to law enforcement agencies and policymakers.
This study aims to explore the reasons behind non-reporting behaviour among cybercrime victims through an opinion-based analytical approach. It examines psychological, social, cultural, and institutional factors influencing victims’ reluctance to report incidents. Key barriers identified include fear of social stigma, lack of awareness, distrust in authorities, privacy concerns, and the complexity of reporting procedures.
The findings highlight that non-reporting not only distorts crime statistics but also weakens policy formulation and allows offenders to operate without accountability. The study emphasizes the need for improved digital literacy, simplified reporting mechanisms, and stronger institutional support to encourage reporting and enhance cybercrime prevention strategies.},
        keywords = {Cybercrime, Non-reporting Behaviour, Victimization, Digital Security.},
        month = {April},
        }

Cite This Article

A, J. S., & Nagaraj.P, , & S, B., & Joyan, D. (2026). UNDERSTANDING NON-REPORTING BEHAVIOUR IN CYBERCRIME VICTIMIZATION: AN OPINION STUDY. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(11), 9712–9718.

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