Final answer:
Fear of retaliation is a common reason family members do not report family assaults to the police, with other reasons including privacy concerns, protection of the abuser, and skepticism regarding police response.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to criminological research, one of the most common reasons that family members do not report family assaults to the police is due to fear of retaliation. The National Criminal Victims Survey and other studies like that of Catalano (2007), Felson, Ackerman, and Gallagher (2005), and Carlson, Harris, and Holden (1999) have revealed multiple reasons why intimate partner violence (IPV) and family abuse go unreported. Victims often consider abuse a private matter, are fearful of retaliation from the abuser, aim to protect the abuser, or believe that the police won't take effective action. Furthermore, the phenomenon known as diffusion of responsibility can influence witnesses and bystanders to assume someone else will report an incident. It is important to recognize that abuse, whether reported or not, has a significant impact on families and society.