Aim: The study aims to highlight methodological issues in estimating exposure to domestic
violence (DV). It also aims to provide information on the reasons for underreporting
DV cases.Methodology: The researchers rely on data available in the Unified Criminal
Statistics of the Investigating Authority and the Prosecutor's Office to describe
the number of victims of domestic violence. They also present some findings of a representative
survey.Findings: Latency is high in cases of domestic violence. The difficulty in
accurately estimating latency is that different data collection methods and different
research questions reveal different levels of exposure. Police have a crucial role
in the disclosure of DV. The main reason for under-reporting is the emotional state
of the victims (including embarrassment and shame) who sometimes would like to keep
the abuse a secret.Value: According to the study, different data collections and methodologies
may give different estimations about the number of victims of DV. Information on the
reasons for non-reporting can increase the efficiency of professionals, aiming at
the prevention and response to domestic violence. In light of the results, especially
the high proportion of male victims, further research questions can be identified.
