Reporting Centers
Information about incidents of discrimination reported to hotlines helps shed light on the so-called “unreported cases” and provides a basis for better support for those affected at both the state and federal levels (see BMFSFJ Study on Unreported Cases, 2026).
The so-called “surface-level studies”—such as the annual reports of the Federal Criminal Police Office—record only those crimes that are officially reported. At the same time, the rate at which women, people with a migration background, and members of the queer community—who are particularly frequently affected by violence—are willing to file a report is less than 10% (see ibid.). The reasons for this are varied and include, in addition to fear and shame, a lack of trust in investigative authorities, among other factors.
Reporting centers serve to document experiences of discrimination (anonymously). Both individuals who have personally experienced discrimination and those who have witnessed it can report their experiences there. Reporting incidents to a reporting center makes it possible to shed light on the reality of discrimination in people’s lives (regardless of whether a police report is filed) through the publication of corresponding annual reports.