Organization of work of Ukraine's social service centers for rendering social and legal support to women in domestic violence situation

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Taras Shevchenko Luhansk National University

Organization of work of Ukraine's social service centers for rendering social and legal support to women in domestic violence situation

Viktoriia Nesterchuk Post-graduate student

Abstract

The article analyzes the organization of social services in Ukraine by the example of different parts of the country.

The article determines that the level of domestic violence against women in Ukraine remains at a high level. The priority directions of the organization of work of the majority of social centers are the legal services for women, victims of domestic violence.

The article investigates the organization of work of social services with women in different socio-economic groups, with different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds, and educational level, who become victims of domestic violence.

Keywords: social and legal assistance to women, domestic violence against women, the activities of social services in Ukraine, the organization of social services.

Introduction

Currently, the provision of social services to women who have been subjected to domestic violence is one of the most relevant aspects of the organization of social work by this category of the population. Particular attention to this segment of modern society is paid due to statistical data. According to official data, there have been more than 10,000 calls regarding cases of domestic violence, of which more than 8,000 were against women. Constant growth in the number of such crimes and various consequences in women victims of domestic violence increases the burden on social service institutions and necessitates development and improvement in the organization of social work.

Analysis of recent research and publications . Theoretical analysis of works of scientists (N. Anishchuk, A. Dudorov, A. Zaporozhtsev, L. Ostapchuk, L. Sukmanovskaya, I. Tomusyakova, M. Havronyuk, S. Kharchenko, G. Khristova, V. Chaika, A. Shidelko and others) demonstrates a sufficient number of studies on domestic violence against women, its essence, causes, features of influence on human personal development. Scientists study the social and psychological aspects of the problem of violence, develop methodological recommendations for the prevention of the phenomenon under study in the family, and analyze normative documents regulating criminal liability for committing violence [1]. From the works of N. Anishchuk defines domestic violence as an intentional act or threat of such an act of physical, sexual, psychological, economic nature of one family member to another, if these actions violate the constitutional rights, freedoms of a family member as a person, citizen, harm his physical, mental health, economic interests [2]. social ukrain women domestic violence

Purpose of the article. The purpose of the research is to study the activity of centers, basic technologies, and methods of assistance to women victims of domestic violence.

Presentation of the main material

The system of providing social and domestic conditions, social and psychological support, legal counseling, and other types of services are priority directions within the organization of social work when addressing the problems of this category of the population in our country. The key element, in this case, is employees of institutions providing qualified assistance to women who find themselves in a difficult situation. Competence of specialists in social work, methods, types, forms, volume, and quality of provided services are important components of the organization of social work with this category of population.

Thus, the social problem of this study is the contradiction between the need to protect women from domestic violence and the real possibilities of meeting these needs. In Ukraine there are 729 social assistance centers, 734 of them are territorial centers (data as of 2013) [3].

More than half of these institutions provide legal services to clients. State social structures by the nature of their activities (as reflected in their name) are focused primarily on providing social, psychological, medical, and pedagogical assistance to a wide range of socially disadvantaged categories of citizens. Provision of social and legal aid is stipulated by state standards for providing services, but it is of an auxiliary nature and is limited either with basic legal counseling by specialists, usually without a legal education or to refer clients to specialized organizations.

Most shelters (they may also be called shelters, crisis units, or temporary housing units) that provide assistance to female victims of domestic violence operate on the basis of state social institutions. Most of them are aimed at housing minors or mothers with minor children. Only a small number of shelters provide specialized assistance specifically to women who are victims of domestic violence. In a number of regions (e.g. Lviv and Chernivtsi regions), there is a high activity of state social institutions, unlike others. This is primarily due to the presence of positive partnerships with state representatives in the region or the presence of charitable contributions from Ukrainian or international organizations, foundations, institutions, or individuals. Of course, this data is not completely complete and objective, as it is difficult to find relevant information in scientific or informational articles, but this work was an attempt to collect the most relevant information about the activities of state social services that provide assistance to victims of domestic violence, as well as to persons who find themselves in a difficult life situation [4].

The main social function of such centers is to provide comprehensive, specialized social assistance to women who are in crisis and in danger of physical and mental, mental, and social health, including those who have experienced any form of violence, including domestic violence.

Among the organizations that provide assistance to women who are victims of domestic violence, there are both municipal institutions and public associations.

In the city of Kyiv, the best-known non-governmental organization (NGO) is La Strada Ukraine. The Center "La Strada-Ukraine" is a member of the Coordination Council for the Prevention of Trafficking in Women under the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights (since 1998), the Expert Working Group under the Interagency Coordination Council for the Prevention of Human Trafficking (since 2003), the Ukrainian Public Council for Human Rights (since 2005) [5].

The mission of the Center is defined as working to ensure gender equality, prevention of all types of gender-based violence, in particular domestic violence, combating human trafficking and ensuring the rights of children, contributing to the implementation of international human rights standards in all areas of society and the state.

The objectives of the organization are:

1. to promote the observance of human rights, especially of women and children;

2. assistance in moving Ukrainian society towards gender equality in all social spheres;

3. assistance in the prevention of human trafficking, other manifestations of violence, cruel treatment, especially against children;

4. assistance in counteracting sexual commercial exploitation of children, their use in prostitution and pornography;

5. assistance in carrying out work on the creation and introduction of effective mechanisms to overcome these phenomena by establishing and strengthening cooperation between governmental, non-governmental, and international organizations;

6. assistance in the examination of legislative acts for compliance with human rights, gender equality in society, adequacy of international documents and norms;

7. promotion of public awareness of human rights, achievement of gender equality in society, the need to eliminate all forms of violence and abuse;

8. promotion of research on the mentioned problems, organization of conferences, forums, public actions;

9. promotion of better understanding of conditions and causes causing the problems of violence, discrimination, human trafficking, violence and discrimination in society;

10. participation in the preparation of recommendations on improvement of the international legal framework and harmonization of the national legislations of the states in the mentioned sphere;

11. promoting the provision of information, scientific, advisory, methodological, organizational, and logistical support to legal and natural persons taking part in programs and projects aimed at observing human rights and achieving gender equality in society;

12. promoting observance of rights of Ukrainian citizens abroad and preventing them from getting into a situation of human trafficking;

13. assistance in the realization of other promising ideas and projects, connected with Center's activity;

14. promotion and broad dissemination of the ideas and objectives of the Center, including the involvement of mass media and communication [5].

Public organization La Strada Ukraine takes part in the improvement of state policy and carrying out of researches is engaged in preventive and educational activity, information activity.

"La Strada-Ukraine" is a national center for the development of scientific and methodological support for the prevention of human trafficking, violence, and the implementation of gender equality.

Equally important is the provision of social assistance to victims by "La Strada- Ukraine" and the activities of the hotline.

In Lutsk, the Volyn Regional Center of Social Services for Family, Children, and Youth (CSSFCY) can be considered as a public institution working with women who are victims of domestic violence. CSSFCY is operating within the social policy program "Prevention and Counteraction to Domestic Violence and Child Abuse"

CSSFCY was established on November 4, 1999, and is financed by the state.

CSSFCY is a large organization in terms of a number of employees, which coordinates the work of similar district institutions belonging to its structure. The Center has been working for a long time and has been carrying out many activities.

In its activities, CSSFCY carries out activities to:

- providing assistance to citizens exposed to domestic violence and sexual violence;

- changing public consciousness of the problem of violence;

- informing the public, contributing to a change in society's attitude towards women and the worldview of women themselves [6].

These directions help the center to implement its activities related to the prevention of domestic violence and assistance to victims of intrafamily violence, both women and other family members.

Studying the center's activities, we can state that the center has a fairly wide specialization, aimed at helping victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, discrimination against women. Any person can apply to the organization both in person and via the telephone hotline.

The possibility of anonymous application to the center is important since many victims are afraid that the aggressor may find out about it and family relations will aggravate even more.

However, there is no way to reliably assess the effectiveness of the center. Given that women apply for assistance anonymously, it is difficult to monitor the recipients of assistance. A staff member can obtain data only if a woman applies to a shelter (an organization that provides free accommodation for a limited time for women experiencing domestic violence) and continues to maintain contact with the regional center. This is due to the fact that a woman's passport information is required in order to be granted a place in the shelter.

Usually, the Women who cannot get an assist from their relatives or friends while they escape from their husbands, apply to the shelter. This may be due to a lack of such a relationship, or to a woman's fear of admitting that she has a problem in her family. More often the victim may come without personal belongings, leaving the apartment in a hurry.

In the Primorsky district of Odessa, the official opening of the Center for assistance to women victims of violence took place on May 31, 2019.

This Center works on the basis of the Odessa city center of social services for families, children, and youth.

The Center for assistance to women victims of violence was created as part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of the project "Comprehensive approach to addressing violence against women and girls in Ukraine", signed by the Odesa City Council and the UN Population Fund in Ukraine.

The Center consists of two branches: the Odessa City Day Center for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation "Break the Cycle" and a shelter for victims of domestic violence and/or gender-based violence. The Center is designed to accommodate 14 women.

The Center provides victims with comprehensive assistance: psychological, social and domestic, socio-medical, informational, legal, and other services. The term of stay of the victims in the Center is up to three months, and in special cases can be prolonged up to six months.

According to statistics and official indicators, Odesa and the Odesa region are among the best regions in Ukraine, where the implementation of the Law "On Prevention and Counteraction to Domestic Violence" is carried out qualitatively and in a coordinated manner thanks to the interaction of police units, social structures, children's affairs service, Social Services Center, departments of social policy, justice, courts, educational and health care institutions.

In order to overcome the escalation of domestic violence against women in 2015, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine together with the UN Population Fund in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Public Health Foundation initiated and carried out the work on the creation of mobile teams of social and psychological assistance.

Mobile brigades are created and operate on the basis of the Regulation on the mobile brigade of social and psychological assistance to victims of domestic violence and/or gender-based violence, approved by the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine № 654 of August 22, 2018.

As of April 1, 2020, there are 334 relevant mobile brigades in the territory of settlements of Ukraine [6].

Despite all appeals, the level of domestic violence against women in our country remains high. Women from different socio-economic groups with different cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds and educational levels become victims of domestic violence. The scale of domestic violence in rural areas is often incomparably higher, as violent behavior is still considered a normal part of family- marital relations [7].

Law enforcement, social and medical resources in rural areas are extremely limited, and the likelihood that domestic violence will go unchecked is much greater than in the city.

Most services to victims of domestic violence (including shelter, legal, medical, psychological assistance, hotlines, educational, and awareness-raising activities) are provided by women's NGOs. In recent years, the number of such organizations has begun to seriously decline, because funding from local authorities and the state has not been adequately met.

The state does not provide the general public with quality educational information that could change people's perceptions of the position of women in the family and society. Although it is noted, including by law enforcement officials themselves and by employees of relevant social services and centers, that women often do not file cases of domestic violence because they do not know what actions they should take. Official authorities make no effort to provide victims with information about their rights and the social, psychological, and legal assistance mechanisms in place.

Thus, law enforcement officials, legislators, state and civil servants, and the general public continue to perceive domestic violence as a private problem of a particular family, and state and public intervention are needed in those cases.

Conclusion

By examining the activities of the centers, it can be stated that the centers have a fairly broad specialization aimed at helping victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, and discrimination against women.

When analyzing the official statistics, it can be argued that it is not objective, because Ukrainian statistics offers information on crimes committed in the family by a family member, while there is no data on the commission of such acts by an acquaintance or cohabitant, although technically it is possible; secondly, the statistics provide information on cases with convictions already issued, and in the situation with refusal to initiate criminal proceedings, as well as the closure of criminal proceedings or the adjudication of a criminal case. In other words, many times more crimes are committed in the sphere of family relations.

References

1. Nesterchuk V. (2020). Sotsial'no-pravovi aspekty domashn'oho nasyl'stva shchodo zhinok [Social and legal aspects of domestic violence against women]. Education and pedagogical science, No 3 (175): http://eps.luguniv.edu.ua/index.php/eps/article/view/82 [in Ukrainian].

2. Anishchuk N. (2008). Pravovi zasoby vykorinennia gendernoho nasylstva v Ukraini : istoryko-teoretychnyi analiz [Legal means of eradicating gender violence in Ukraine: historical and theoretical analysis]. Rozshyrenyy avtoreferat doktors'koyi dysertatsiyi - Extended abstract of doktor's thesis [in Ukrainian].

3. Bavol T. (2016). Mekhanizmy derzhavnoho upravlinnya [Mechanisms of Public Administration] : http://www.dridu.dp.ua/vidavnictvo/2016/2016_01(28)/10.pdf [in Ukrainian].

4. Bondarenko M. S., Kalnitska K. O. (2019). Domashnye nasyl'stvo: prychyny, oznaky ta metody poperedzhennya [Domestic Violence: Causes, Signs, and Methods of Prevention ]

Protydiya domashn'oho nasyl'stva: realiyi ta perspektyvy: zbirnyk tez oblasnoyi naukovo- praktychnoyi konferentsiyi - Combating domestic violence: realities and prospects: collection of abstracts of the Regional Scientific-Practical Conference , 40-43 [in Ukrainian].

5. La Strada - Ukraine (2020). Sfery diyal'nosti [Areas of activity]: http://old.la- strada.org.ua/ucp_mod_content_show_napryamki-diyalnosti.html [in Ukrainian].

6. Ministerstvo sotsial'noyi polityky Ukrayiny (2020). Pro Mobil'ni hrupy sotsial'no- psykholohichnoyi dopomohy postrazhdalym vid domashn'oho nasyl'stva ta hendernoho nasyl'stva pratsyuyut' dystantsiyno [Mobile socio-psychological assistance teams for victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence work remotely] https://www.msp.gov.ua/news/18476.html [in Ukrainian].

7. Nesterchuk V. (2021). Doslidzhennya efektyvnosti sotsial'no-pravovoyi dopomohy

zhinkam u sytuatsiyakh domashn'oho nasyl'stva v ukrayins'kykh tsentrakh sotsial'noho obsluhovuvannya [A Study of the Efficiency of Social and Legal Assistance to Women in Situations of Domestic Violence in Ukrainian Social Service Centers] Modern scientific researches, Vol.15, Part 2, Yolnat PE, Minsk, Belarus, 55-56: https://www.modscires.pro/index.php/msr/issue/view/meit15-02/msr15-02 [in Ukrainian].

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