Look: Everyone quotes the 2-10% false report rate of rape from this one official study https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Overview_False-Reporting.pdf

This is used both to support, and fight against, false rape reports being perceived as common. The truth is, with one number alone, we can't really determine anything. We need a second number: The rate of false reporting for all other (non rape) crimes.

Let's say that the false reporting rate for all other crimes is 1%. Then the false rape reporting rate ranges from twice as often to ten times as often. Let that sink in. So long as they're less than 5%, they're lower than the middle range for the false rape reporting estimate.

On the other hand, let's say that the false reporting rate for all other crimes is 20%. Then rape is half as likely to be reported falsely, and those people who claim that there's a chilling effect for rape reports may have a point (fat chance).

The problem is I'm not really sure how to get the false reporting rate for all other crimes. Could one of you fellows work it out so we can actually make these statistics mean something?