In some cases, sadly, people decide not to report cases of abuse and/or violence for a number of reasons. One good reason would be fear of the abuser. People think that if they rat on the person who was mean to them, then they'll just be even meaner. And too often, this is the case. When a judge hears about it and issues a 'restraining order' (which, to a violent-minded individual, is simply a worthless piece of paper), they could very well blow up and do something tragic.
Another reason is shame. People who have been abused for extended periods of time begin to treat it like it's their own problem that they need to deal with, and they get extremely embarrassed when discussing it with other people.
Hope this helped =)
