The article claims that in Japan there is a dominant perception that rape is a personal rather than a social problem. Cultural pressures to defer to family, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, supervisors and persons of greater status, males and older persons are stronger than in most Western cultures and may significantly influence rape reporting and non-reporting. The article cites three major concerns regarding unreported sexual assault. First, since the offenders are not caught and many are recidivistic, there is a high likelihood that they will victimize again. Second, non-reporting causes a distortion in the statistics on sexual assault that results in a false perception of both its size and character. Studies of reported sexual assault victims are biased in favor of stranger offenses and ignore the more common acquaintance offenses. As a consequence of the false perception, Japan has no official programs to deal with this social crisis. Finally, lack of official recognition and validation of a victim's trauma can result in tertiary victimization, the emotional aftermath of rape referred to as the rape trauma syndrome. This condition can be characterized by nightmares, depression, eating disorders, psychosis and other dysfunctional behavior, even suicide. Note, references