Victimological Aspects of the Behavior of Victims of Domestic Violence

Abstract

The relevance of the subject under study is conditioned upon the need for an in-depth study of such a complex social phenomenon as domestic violence, which involves finding out the patterns of formation of victim behaviour of victims of domestic violence. That is why the purpose of this study is to prove and investigate the general and special qualities, properties, nature of victimhood, victimisation and characterise the specifics of the behaviour of victims of domestic violence. To achieve this goal, a complex of philosophical, general scientific, and special legal methods of scientific knowledge was used. The historical method, comparative legal method, system, hermeneutical, structural, and functional method, comparison method, generalisation and other methods of scientific research were applied, which in turn contributed to the effective scientific search for the chosen research subject. As a result of the study, the criminological and victimological aspects of victims of domestic violence are analysed in the context of modern theoretical and legal knowledge. The essence of domestic violence as a social phenomenon and as a crime is considered. The article highlights the general provisions of victimology in the field of scientific and criminological knowledge, as well as individual victimological characteristics of victims of domestic violence. The essence and characteristic features of victim behaviour are revealed, and the factors of victimhood and victimisation are identified. Typical coping strategies are described. The interdisciplinary analysis of victim behaviour of victims of domestic violence allowed us to consider psychological and legal aspects of various demographic segments of victims of domestic violence by gender and age: women, men, children. The system of causal relationship victim – abuser – victim behaviour in domestic violence is found. It is proved that victims of domestic violence are characterised by the presence of signs of emotional and behavioural disorders caused by systematic acts of domestic violence. The provisions formed and set out in the scientific article can be used in law of applicable activities – in the development and improvement of recommendations on preventing and countering domestic violence; research activities – for further research of solving the problem of domestic violence and developing general theoretical and practical recommendations, measures; educational process – during the preparation of lectures, seminars, criminology, victimology, criminal law, family law, social psychology, legal psychology, preventive psychology