Victimological Aspects of Domestic Violence Prevention

Abstract

The article substantiates the victimological approach to the problem of domestic violence prevention. I. The system of concepts to describe the phenomenon of victimity (also referred to as “victimhood”) has been specified. The central concept of the system: victim-like behavior of the person who has suffered from domestic violence is an integral feature of personality, characterized by low self-esteem, disproportionately critical self-attitude; increased level of anxiety; low ability to overcome external pressure; a noticeable helplessness-focused mindset; behavioral dispositions in family relationships, guided by victim-like stereotypes. Other definitions: 1. Victimity - physical, psychological, moral and social features and characteristics of a person that have transformed or potentially lead to transformation of such person into a victim; 1.1. Personality victimity is a specific personal construct, realized in the guidelines and attributes of victim’s personality; 1.2. General victimity depends on the social and role characteristics that transform a person into a victim; 2. Victim propensity is a set of features stipulated by social, psychological and other reasons that contribute to non-adaptive reaction style of the subject and lead to negative consequences for him/her, which consists in transforming a person into a victim. 3. Victimization - the process of victimity realization in dynamics; 4. Victim-like behavior - deviation from the rules of dangerous behavior, implemented in the aggregate of social, psychological and moral manifestations of a personality, leading to the victim‘s role; 5. Victimogenic factors (causes) - objective circumstances formed directly before or during commission of an offense and not connected with victimity of a sufferer or his/her behavior. A conclusion has been made about the expansion of the meaning of victim-like behavior in domestic violence situations, set in the Law On domestic violence prevention and combating compared with the definition given in the corresponding Law that had been in force earlier. II. The assumption that the effectiveness of victimology is in direct correlation with the effective application of primarily psychological methods has been substantiated. ІІІ. The comparison of scientific approaches to the study of the rates and causes of victimization among women affected by domestic violence (namely: socio-cultural approach, systemic family approach and individual-psychological approach) has been presented. IV. The content of the main types of victimity - person-based and role-based (general) ones - has been specified. The opinion on the effectiveness of the person-based type of victimity correction has been expressed. V. The issue of choosing the ways and methods of de-vitmization is put into dependence on the type of person who had suffered from domestic violence. VІ. The conclusion has been made of the applicability of the new direction of research – so called “riskology” (risk analysis) - in victimological researches to identify the risk groups. VIІ. A suggestion has been made to investigate victimogenic factors as an element of the domestic violence determination system. VIIІ. It has been proposed to carry out the victimological countermeasures through the most accessible channels: social network groups, a purposeful influence on young women made by the members of their reference groups. It has been emphasized that victimity is subject to correction, resulting in de-victimization of (potential) victims of domestic violence.