PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF INTERACTION BETWEEN PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IN COUNTERING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Abstract

Introduction. Modern Ukrainian society faces a significant spread of domestic violence, which has particularly intensified under martial law. Lenient public attitudes, weak victim protection, low criminalization of offenses, and insufficient interaction between state and civil society institutions lead to an increase in the number of victims. The relevance of the study is driven by the sharp rise in reports to law enforcement agencies against the background of a low level of initiated criminal proceedings, as well as the impact of post-traumatic stress disorders among military personnel.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is a comprehensive analysis of the problems and prospects of interaction between public organizations and law enforcement agencies in the field of combating domestic violence and the development of strategic recommendations for its improvement, taking into account international experience and wartime realities.

Materials and methods. The research materials include regulatory legal acts of Ukraine (Constitution of Ukraine, Criminal Code of Ukraine, Law of Ukraine “On Preventing and Countering Domestic Violence”, Istanbul Convention), official statistics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Police, and the Office of the Prosecutor General, as well as scientific works by domestic and foreign authors. Methods of theoretical generalization, comparative analysis, statistical analysis, and modeling were used.

Results. The contradictory dynamics of domestic violence in Ukraine were analyzed: a significant increase in reports alongside a decrease in the number of criminal proceedings. Key problems of interaction between the subjects were identified (fragmentation of coordination, weak information exchange, insufficient support infrastructure, regional disparities, and low level of trust). Successful international practices of the USA, Canada, Poland, and Germany were studied. A set of measures was proposed: introduction of specialized coordinators in police departments, digitalization of interagency cooperation, expansion of the network of shelters and crisis rooms, regular interdisciplinary trainings, and monitoring with KPIs.

Perspectives. Further research should focus on the empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed mechanisms, the development of regional models for countering domestic violence under wartime conditions, and studying the impact of digital tools on the quality of victim protection.