SOCIAL PREREQUISITES FOR THE CRIMINALIZATION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING OFFENSES IN THE CONDITIONS OF WAR IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article examines the issues of the social prerequisites for the criminalization of human trafficking in the context of war in Ukraine, a topic that has received insufficient attention from criminologists at the present stage. Currently, there is no comprehensive criminological study on this issue, which necessitates its in-depth examination, taking into account the scientific findings obtained in related fields. In this regard, it is particularly important to identify the social factors that have contributed to the criminalization of this type of crime.

With the development of society and the establishment of respect for fundamental human rights, particularly the right to freedom, the criminalization of human trafficking has become a necessary means of ensuring social justice. At the same time, the provisions of the Criminal Code of Ukraine are aimed at protecting individuals’ rights from criminal encroachments, among which human trafficking represents one of the most egregious violations of human dignity and freedom. In criminal law doctrine, the process of introducing norms that establish criminal liability for certain acts is defined by the term criminalization. However, this issue requires a deeper study, considering the scientific achievements of experts in this field.

The article substantiates that the criminalization of human trafficking is a consequence of objective social processes that have necessitated state intervention in this phenomenon through the establishment of criminal law prohibitions. It is proven that the social conditioning of human trafficking criminalization is linked to the development of public consciousness, the evolution of legal systems, and international human rights protection standards. The study analyzes the key social prerequisites that contributed to the formation of criminal law mechanisms to combat this crime, including historical, moral-ethical, economic, and political factors.

It should be noted that the social, political, and legal necessity of criminalizing human trafficking crimes is interrelated and determined both by the social values of Ukrainian society and by Ukraine’s international obligations. This demonstrates an appropriate level of the state’s criminal law policy, which, in this sphere, meets society’s needs in countering human trafficking.