Corruption as a Negative Phenomenon of Society

The article examines the phenomenon of corruption as a negative social issue. It is noted that corruption, as a social phenomenon, has existed for a very long time, affecting every country, and has always been considered an evil that must be eradicated and combated. It is emphasized that when defining the essence of corruption, it is important to understand that it cannot be reduced to a single specific offense. Corruption is primarily a social phenomenon, influenced by social factors and governed by certain social patterns. It has a destructive impact on social development. It exists within society and, as a result of the functioning of the entire system of social relations, penetrates various spheres of public life, distorts personal relationships and social values, disrupts the usual order in society, and leads to the collapse of state institutions. The article also elucidates the concept of corruption as defined in dictionaries, as well as the views of researchers with different scientific interests and positions. For this reason, the perspectives of prominent sociologists M. Weber and É. Durkheim were studied, whose theories provide important approaches to understanding this phenomenon. The economic aspect of corruption is discussed, highlighting that both theoretical and empirical studies by scholars conclude that corruption negatively affects economic growth rates. Reports by Transparency International, a non-governmental organization that combats corruption and studies its levels in various countries worldwide, are analyzed. This organization annually uses the indicator called the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for all countries. The least corrupt countries are Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and New Zealand, where the public sector is most developed, with a significant proportion of tax revenues and government expenditures in the GDP structure. The higher the Corruption Perceptions Index, the better the global anti-corruption ranking. According to this study, in the Corruption Perceptions Index for 2024, Ukraine scored 35 out of 100 possible points and ranked 105th. As evident, Ukraine's Corruption Perceptions Index is relatively low. The article also analyzed the perspectives of scholars in legal academic literature, most of whom recognize corrupt actions as illegal in global practice; however, there is no single, universally accepted definition of corruption. It was noted that, in jurisprudence, there exists a criminal-law paradigm that views corruption as an illegal and unlawful phenomenon that harms society in the social, political, and economic development of the state. This paradigm encompasses a wide range of unlawful acts associated with abuse of power for material gain, placing such actions outside the legal framework and, accordingly, requiring urgent and decisive countermeasures. The concept of corruption as provided in the UN Convention against Corruption, as well as in the Law of Ukraine "On Preventing Corruption" dated October 14, 2014, was analyzed. It was established that criminologists identify corruption as a distinct type of criminal activity—namely, corruption-related crime, which is inextricably linked with other negative phenomena and processes in various spheres of society's life: political, economic, moral-ethical, and spiritual. It has been concluded that corruption is a global social phenomenon that poses a serious threat to governments and politicians worldwide, regardless of the level of economic development of countries. It manifests itself in all spheres of social life: social, political, economic, and legal. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the essence, origin, and functioning of corruption processes is key to developing and implementing effective anti-corruption policies. Keywords: corruption, state authorities, society, social, political, economic development of the state, anti-corruption policy.