Regulatory and organizational framework for the functioning of the administrative system for responding to domestic violence in Ukraine

Abstract

The issue of domestic violence in Ukraine has gained particular significance in the context of public administration reform, decentralization, and the implementation of European human rights standards. It extends beyond the private sphere and becomes an object of complex administrative and legal regulation aimed at ensuring personal security, dignity, and integrity. Within this framework, the response system to domestic violence is shaped as a specialized segment of public safety that integrates legal, organizational, and social instruments of state intervention.

The regulatory framework for preventing and combating domestic violence is based on the combination of national legislation and Ukraine’s international human rights obligations. This combination leads to a shift from fragmented responses to a comprehensive model in which the state acts not only as an authority of control and coercion but also as a guarantor of protection and an active provider of social support. Administrative law plays a key role in this system by enabling rapid intervention, coordinating institutional actions, and implementing special protective measures. The organizational structure of the response system relies on inter-institutional cooperation among the police, social services, local authorities, healthcare and legal institutions, as well as specialized support centers. This integrated model allows the immediate cessation of violence to be combined with long-term social and psychological rehabilitation programs. As a result, a continuous chain of assistance is formed in which the affected person is not left without support after the initial intervention.

Administrative response mechanisms have a preventive and protective orientation and include risk assessment tools, temporary restrictions on offenders, access to legal and social assistance, and the involvement of rehabilitation services. Together, these elements form a dynamic system capable of adapting to different forms and levels of danger within family and intimate relationships. This approach makes it possible to view the prevention of domestic violence as an integral part of a modern public safety model focused on protecting the individual rather than merely reacting to offenses.