(2018) 4/2 Visn. Nac. akad. prokur. Ukr. 70–81
doi
Title of the article	Concept and Content of Psychological Violence
Author(s)	INNA BEVZIUK PhD in Psychology, senior lecturer, department of prosecutors training in work organization Special Training Institute, National Prosecution Academy of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, bevzyk@i.ua IHOR KOZIAKOV Doctor of Law, Professor, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine, head, department of scientific and methodological support of prosecutor’s activity outside the criminal justice sphere, Scientific and Research Institute, National Prosecution Academy of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, koziakov@ap.gp.gov.ua
Short title of the journal (ISSN)	Visn. Nac. akad. prokur. Ukr.
Year	2018
Issue	4/2
Pages	[70–81]
Language	Ukrainian
Abstract	The European integration aspirations of Ukraine are related to the positive dynamics of the implementation into the national legislation of the Council of Europe standards of preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. Activation of the process of lawmaking in this direction determines the modernization of legal acts, as a result of which new concepts are introduced into the legal circle. As a result, for example, in the legislation on criminal liability, along with the term “mental violence”, the term “psychological violence” is used, along with the phrase “moral suffering” – “psychological suffering”, etc. At the same time, the Criminal Code of Ukraine does not contain definitions of these concepts, and their definition in the norms of the special legislation on preventing and combating domestic violence does not reveal the legal and psychological nature of these phenomena, in addition, the terminology used contains conflicting essential characteristics that demonstrate different approaches to the definition of concepts used in the legislation in the specified field. The purpose of the article is the theoretical definition and interpretation of the concept and content of psychological violence at the interdisciplinary level by synthesizing its definitions developed in the scientific discourse, identifying and differentiating the types and forms of manifestation of psychological violence in interpersonal relations with the aim of improving law enforcement. In the study of the approaches adopted in the Istanbul Convention (2011, CETS No. 210), it has been established that psychological violence is understood to mean intentional behavior that leads to severe violations of mental integrity through coercion or threats. Instead, in the criminal law doctrine, mental violence involves the use of psychic influence on another person against his/her will in order to achieve a harmful result. Another legislative definition is that psychological violence is a form of domestic violence that includes verbal abuse, threats, including against third parties, humiliation, persecution, intimidation, and other acts aimed at limiting the expression of the will, control of the reproductive if such actions or inactivity caused the victim’s fear of his/her safety or security of third parties, caused emotional insecurity, inability to protect themselves or harm the person’s mental health. As a result of the analysis of different approaches and definitions at the interdisciplinary level, it can be determined that psychological violence is a personal influence on the psyche of a particular person, which forces him/her into actions and behaviors that are not part of his/her intentions and violate the individual limits of the individual, exercised without informed consent and without ensuring the social and psychological safety of the individual, his/her legal rights, leading to negative legal consequences in the form of moral, physical or material damage.
Keywords	violence; domestic violence; mental violence; psychological violence; mental suffering; moral damage.
References	REFERENCES List of legal documents Legislation 1. Pro poperedzhennia nasylstva v simi [On Preventing Domestic Violence]: Zakon Ukrainy [Law of Ukraine] vid 15 lystopada 2001 roku № 2789-III. URL: (accessed: 14.12.2018) (in Ukrainian). 2. Pro vnesennia zmin do Kryminalnoho ta Kryminalnoho protsesualnoho kodeksiv Ukrainy z metoiu realizatsii polozhen Konventsii Rady Yevropy pro zapobihannia nasylstvu shchodo zhinok i domashnomu nasylstvu ta borotbu z tsymy yavyshchamy [On Amendments to the Criminal and Criminal Procedural Codes of Ukraine in Order to Implement the Provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence]: Zakon Ukrainy [Law of Ukraine] vid 6 hrudnia 2017 roku № 2227-VIII. URL: (accessed: 14.12.2018) (in Ukrainan). 3. Pro zapobihannia ta protydiiu domashnomu nasylstvu [On Preventing and Combating Domestic Violence]: Zakon Ukrainy [Law of Ukraine] vid 7 hrudnia 2017 roku № 2229-VIII. URL: (accessed: 14.12.2018) (in Ukrainian). 4. Pro zatverdzhennia Poriadku zastosuvannia metodiv psykholohichnoho i psykhoterapevtychnoho vplyvu [On Approval of the Procedure for the Application of Methods of Psychological and Psychotherapeutic Impact]: nakaz Ministerstva okhorony zdorovia Ukrainy [order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine] vid 15 kvitnia 2008 roku № 199. URL: (accessed: 14.12.2018) (in Ukrainian). Bibliography Edited books 5. Dzhuzha O, Opryshko I ta Kulyk O (ed), Pravovi ta kryminolohichni zasady zapobihannia nasylstvu v simi: navch. posib. [Legal and Criminological Principles for Preventing Domestic Violence: teach. manual] (Nats. akad. vnutr. sprav Ukrainy 2005) 124 (in Ukrainian). 6. Zaporozhtsev A (comp) ta in, Nasylstvo v simi ta diialnist orhaniv vnutrishnikh sprav shchodo ioho podolannia: navch.-metod. posib. [Domestic Violence and Law Enforcement Activities to Combat It: teach.-method. manual] (Koordynator proektiv OBSYe v Ukraini, 2012) 246 (in Ukrainian). Dictionaries 7. Panov M, Bytiak Yu ta Herasina L (ed), Slovnyk terminiv z pravovoi konfliktolohii [Glossary of Terms of Legal Conflict] (Odissei 2006) 208 (in Ukrainian). Thesis abstracts 8. Lomova T, ‘Psykholohichni osoblyvosti ahresyvnoi povedinky starshoklasnykiv ta ii korektsiia v protsesi navchalnoi diialnosti’ [‘Psychological Features of Aggressive Behavior of Senior Pupils and Its Correction in the Process of Educational Activity’] (avtoref dys kand psykholoh nauk, Pivdennoukr. derzh. pedahoh. un-t im. K. Ushynskoho 2009) 23 (in Ukrainian). Journals articles 9. Herasina L, ‘Nasylstvo yak sotsialna destruktsiia’ [‘Violence as a Social Destruction’] (2015) 1148 Visnyk Kharkivskoho natsionalnoho universytetu imeni V.N. Karazina 35–40 (in Ukrainian). 10. Hunia I, ‘Vydy nasylstva v kryminalnomu pravi’ [‘Types of Violence in Criminal Law’] (2014) 2 Forum prava 99–103 (in Ukrainian). 11. Luniak M, ‘Nasylstvo yak pravova ta filosofska problema’ [‘Violence as a Legal and Philosophical Problem’] (2002) 7 Pravo Ukrainy 99–101 (in Ukrainian). 12. Nizhynska I ta Nizhynskyi S, ‘Poniattia i zmist prava liudyny na kompensatsiiu moralnoi shkody’ [‘The Concept and Content of the Right to Compensation for Moral Damage’] (2012) 4 Chasopys Kyivskoho universytetu prava 22–25 (in Ukrainian). 13. Shipunova T, ‘Agressiia i nasilie kak elementy sociokulturnoi realnosti [‘Aggression and Violence as Elements of Sociocultural Reality’] (2002) 5 Sociologicheskie issledovaniia 67–76 (in Russian). 14. Vasyliev V, ‘Okremi pytannia vyznachennia poniattia moralnoi (nemainovoi) shkody’ [‘Separate Issues of Defining the Notion of Moral (Non-Property) Damage’] (2015) 32(2) Naukovyi visnyk Uzhhorodskoho natsionalnoho universytetu 10–5 (in Ukrainian). 15. Zaporozhets A, ‘Kryminalizatsiia domashnoho nasylstva – novela kryminalnoho zakonodavstva Ukrainy’ [‘Criminalization of Domestic Violence – an Innovation of Criminal Legislation of Ukraine’] (2018) 1 Visnyk kryminalnoho sudochynstva 148–154 (in Ukrainian).