When insignificance is significant: Rethinking race, immigration, and the myth of victim reluctance to report to police and use victim services

Public discourse often portrays victims of racial, ethnic, or immigrant minorities as more reluctant to engage in police or seek further help. Yet, this perception remains largely unexamined through empirical research. This study tests the correlates of police notification and victim service utilization among victims of violence, with particular focus on how race/ethnicity and immigration status—key components of sociostructural positioning—interact. Drawing on the Multilevel, Contextualized Help-Seeking Model, we analyzed data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) from 2017 to 2023. We estimate multilevel logistic models of police reporting and service use, while accounting for selection bias in the victim sample. Findings reveal that Black victims generally had higher odds of notifying police than White victims. However, this trend reverses for Black foreign-born citizens, who were significantly less likely to report. Asian non-citizens, conversely, were nearly ten times more likely to use victim services than White citizens. Weapon involvement was linked to higher odds of police reporting, while incident severity was associated with greater service use. Series-victimization was associated with lower odds of police reporting, but higher odds of service use. These results challenge the prevailing assumption that racial and ethnic minorities are uniformly less likely to seek help and suggest that targeted public policy solutions can effectively promote help-seeking, especially among immigrant populations.