Латентність домашнього насильства: причини та способи подолання

Domestic violence remains one of the most latent forms of crime in Ukraine, which is due to a number of social, legal and economic factors. Despite the adoption of a number of legislative acts and the ratification of the Istanbul Convention aimed at preventing and combating domestic violence, a significant number of cases continue to remain unnoticed by law enforcement agencies and society. The latency of domestic violence is due to such factors as legal ignorance of the population, social stereotypes, financial dependence of victims, fear of the perpetrator, distrust of the justice system, as well as insufficient effectiveness of law enforcement agencies in combating this phenomenon. The article examines the relationship between the level of knowledge of one’s rights and legal protection mechanisms and the level of latency of domestic violence. The paper examines the main reasons for the latency of domestic violence and proposes measures to overcome it. In particular, it emphasizes the importance of information and explanatory work among the population, the need to improve mechanisms for seeking help, the introduction of stricter sanctions for perpetrators, the creation of an extensive network of crisis centers and the expansion of social adaptation programs for victims. Special attention is paid to the need to increase the professionalism of law enforcement agencies, the introduction of effective mechanisms for collecting statistical data and strengthening interdepartmental cooperation in the field of preventing domestic violence. The measures proposed in the article are aimed at reducing the latency of domestic violence, increasing trust in the justice system, and creating a culture of zero tolerance for this type of offense. The implementation of these initiatives will allow for timely detection and cessation of cases of violence, ensuring effective protection of victims and bringing perpetrators to justice. It was concluded that the problem of latency of domestic violence in Ukraine remains a serious challenge for society, as a significant part of cases remains unknown to law enforcement agencies due to a number of factors, such as legal ignorance, social stereotypes, victims’ fear of the perpetrator, and distrust of the police.