JultikaUniversity of Oulu repository

Abstract

This Master’s thesis demonstrates the analysis of the situation of domestic violence in the European North (Finland and Arkhangelsk region, European North of Russia). The objective is to find out features, socio-cultural characteristics of the Russian and Finnish social protection system and the system of prevention in situations of domestic violence.

The practical part of the study consists of an analysis of the normative legal documents of the Russian and Finnish law systems, reports and publications. With the objective to collect statistical data about crimes committed inside the family on the Russian side, use was made of the reports of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, the Arkhangelsk Regional Bureau of Forensic-Medical Expertise, the Department for Oversight of Execution of Laws concerning Juvenile and Youth of the Prosecutor of Arkhangelsk region, the Regional Direction of the Investigative Committee of Russian Federation, the Committee of Public Health Services and Social Issues of The Regional Assembly of Deputies. For statistics on the Finnish situation, the following were used: the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency, the Fundamental Rights Agency of Finland, the National Institute for Health and Welfare of Finland, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland, the Advisory Board on Conciliation in Criminal Matters, Statistics Finland for the last five years.

We formulated the next research questions: (1) are there any differences in understanding the term of ‘domestic violence’ in the Russian and Finnish societies? (2) what kind of attention is paid to the problem of domestic violence by both countries? (3) how is domestic violence addressed in the legislation of both countries? (4) are there any differences in the Russian and Finnish systems of assistance and systems of prevention in situations of domestic violence?

Comparative analysis was used as the main method. The comparative criteria considered in this study were the following: (1) the understanding of term ‘domestic violence’; (2) reflections of the situation of domestic violence (data, statistics of sex offences in the private area); (3) the system of legal protection (the legislation mechanisms of protection in situations of domestic violence); (4) the organization of assistance in situations of violence (system of social services, social assistance, social mechanisms of protection in situations of domestic violence); (5) the organization of preventive work against domestic violence (the role of different kinds of specialist who render the services (medical, pedagogical, social, and legal) to the person). Besides, the main regulations on the theoretical concepts of application of modern social work methods with the victims of violence were considered.

The received results confirm the importance and acute need to improve the system of inter-institutional cooperation (medical, pedagogical, social, and legal services) for early detection of domestic violence at least in the Arkhangelsk region, Russia.