Frontline in the focus of criminological analysis: concept, content, dimensions
I.V. Kritsak, V. A. Pryhotskyi, O. M. Morozova · Analytical and Comparative Jurisprudence · 2025
In the Ukrainian scientometric space, the issue of the frontier is increasingly being raised. Moreover, it refers to many of its varieties: from the informational and diplomatic to the historical or defense. It is important to study this phenomenon from an interdisciplinary perspective. We will focus on some of them, because the issue of the frontier is of great importance in the study of evil/crime, criminality both on a national and civilizational/planetary scale. The defense front/defense policy of the Ukrainian state deserves special attention in today’s conditions, as it covers a wide range of fronts included in this concept. Criminotheological reflection in this context is also very important in defending Ukrainian independence and the boundaries of identity, national borders, etc. In general, today more than 500 scientific professional articles with the root compound “front” are available in the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine. By the method of interdisciplinary analysis, the selected unique scientific material is simplified in terms of semantic load, which can be used when lecturing on criminology “frontline crime” and for other important purposes of building the defense consciousness of Ukraine. The frontier as a concept of border and boundary is not only the subject of research by historians, but is also actively studied by criminologists (in particular, Y.V. Orlov) from the standpoint of a deterministic component. It is seen as a key to understanding the causes and factors of global transformation processes that are continuously taking place on a civilizational scale. The frontier appears as a conceptual phenomenon and a dynamic process that requires multidimensional understanding. Modern scientific trends emphasize the need to study the frontier from different perspectives: geographical, social and structural, ideological, and spiritual and value. This is due to the intensive development of social relations, information technologies, as well as challenges associated with wars, natural disasters, resource depletion and interethnic conflicts. In the modern criminological paradigm, the frontier acts as a space of interaction, conflict and adaptation, which requires a comprehensive analysis to formulate effective strategies to combat crime and ensure stability in times of global change.