4. UNDERSTANDING WHY SGBV IS OFTEN UNDERREPORTED Studies in the general community demonstrate that victims of SGBV under-report for a number of reasons, all of which are likely to be magnified in closed settings. In addition, there are specific barriers to reporting SGBV in places of deprivation of liberty. In assessing the occurrence of SGBV in places of deprivation of liberty, it would be useful for monitoring mechanisms to first develop an understanding of whether victims and witnesses feel that they can safely report incidents of SGBV. If monitors discover that SGBV is a latent problem, then they should try to determine why this is the case and develop recommendations to tackle any barriers to reporting. Some of the common barriers are summarized below to help monitors understand why under-reporting might be an issue. This section also provides some practical ideas of how monitors can assess which barriers might be relevant to the institutions they are monitoring. Common barriers to reporting SGBV • Psychological barriers and stigma: Societal norms and gender stereotypes play a role in making survivors of SGBV feel ashamed and humiliated. These feelings may be even more difficult to overcome in places of deprivation of liberty, because victims do not have the same access to support services that may be available in the outside community. Men and boys may be particularly reluctant to report acts of SGBV due to feelings of shame and guilt, or to the stigma attached to being a victim of sexual violence. • Fear of retaliation and reprisals: Fear of the perpetrator and of reprisals is one of the most common reasons why victims and witnesses do not report incidents of sexual violence. In closed facilities, the fear of retaliation and potential threats by the perpetrators of violence leading victims not to report are intensified. Detainees/prisoners risk being labelled as “snitches”, which could make them vulnerable to reprisals worse than the aggression they sought to avoid. Juveniles who are detained with adults may have especially strong fears of retribution. Fear of reprisals also deters staff and witnesses to violence from reporting SGBV. • Other possible consequences of reporting: Victims of SGBV in closed facilities may not report violence because they think they will be punished for doing so. They might also be worried they will be transferred to another location for their own protection. This can sometimes lead to a deterioration in their living conditions and, for 16