Society in the Pandemic Period: Criminal Background of Development

A. V. Mayorov

, E. N. Mayorova

and O. N. Dunaeva

Chelyabinsk State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia

South Ural State University (NIU), Chelyabinsk, Russia

Keywords: Pandemic, Society, Crime, Victimization, Social Tension, Criminal Legislation.

Abstract: The article presents the results of a study of the impact of COVID-19 coronavirus infection pandemic and its

strains on the criminal and victimological situation in the Russian Federation. The criminological analysis of

the predicted development of crime and its main directions is provided. The socio-psychological and gender-

age characteristics of persons with a high risk of victimization are given. It is noted that social tension, social

dysadaptation of the population caused by a high risk of infection, economic recession, introduction of strict

restrictive measures and self-isolation, increase the victimization of the population. The results of the study

based on the analysis of the causes, dynamics and direction of crime showed: the criminological forecast of

the development of crime in general was confirmed, but not for all types of crime: there was a decrease in

violent and street crime; crimes committed by labor migrants and foreign citizens. There is an increase in:

organized crime; economic and corruption crimes; extremism and terrorism; the greatest increase in crimes

committed with the use of information and telecommunication technologies and in the field of computer

information. Comparative analysis shows the similarity of crime trends in Russia and foreign countries caused

by the COVID-19 coronavirus infection pandemic and its strains. It is necessary to conduct deeper

criminological and victimological study in order to develop more effective crime prevention and

victimological prevention measures, as well as an international exchange of good practices in this area during

a general pandemic.

1 INTRODUCTION

The rapid spread of COVID-19 coronavirus infection

has affected all aspects of life and public relations in

all countries of the world. With a lack of

comprehensive and scientifically grounded

information, at the state level, quick and balanced

decisions were required to eliminate problems that

were growing like a "snowball". On March 11, 2020,

the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized

that the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus infection

and its consequences have reached the level of a

pandemic, in many countries of the world a self-

isolation regime has been introduced for the

population, and international transport links have

been reduced. For the first time, the world has faced

such large-scale cataclysms, the global crisis has

become a test for all states.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8629-9837

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3705-0402

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7875-6196

The main problems faced by all countries of the

world: regulatory and organizational and managerial

and nature, maintaining economic security, social

stability, preventing the growth of crime, chaos and

confusion, aggravating the solution to the main

problem – countering the spread of COVID-19

coronavirus infection, protection of health of people

and provision of the necessary medical care. The

resulting situation had no analogues of the previous

experience and was distinguished by a number of

features: globality, transnationality, dynamism, threat

to national security, difficulty in predicting

consequences, time uncertainty.

398

Mayorov, A., Mayorova, E. and Dunaeva, O.

Society in the Pandemic Period: Criminal Background of Development.

DOI: 10.5220/0011121300003439

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference "COVID-19: Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals" (RTCOV 2021), pages 398-403

ISBN: 978-989-758-617-0

2 METHODOLOGY

The study methodology consists of: 1) general

scientific study methods in jurisprudence: dialectical,

logical, functional; sociocultural (based on a

systematic approach); 2) private scientific methods:

statistical; 3) special study methods in jurisprudence:

comparative legal, formal legal. In order to examine

the determinants, dynamics and forecasting of

development of the criminal situation in Russia,

against the background of a pandemic, the study

analyzed official statistics, the results of Russian and

foreign studies on this topic, and publications in the

media.

3 STUDY RESULTS

The high level of complexity of the problem

contributed to the mobilization and search for a

comprehensive solution, the state authorities of the

Russian Federation began to introduce a number of

legislative, economic, political and other measures to

localize the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus

infection and minimize its consequences. Under the

new conditions, the most tangible changes the

criminal and administrative legislations have

undergone; migration legislation, which until that

moment was considered clearly regulated,

encountered a number of difficulties (see:

E.N. Mayorova).

At the end of March, a self-isolation regime was

introduced in the Russian Federation, most of the

working population was forced to switch to a remote

form of work, education in educational institutions

was also transferred to a remote format. Long-term

self-isolation negatively affects the psyche of people,

since there is a sharp decrease in mobility, a violation

of the usual way and rhythm of life, the need for a

long time in the room and no ability to leave it,

constant contacts with a narrow circle of people, and

the inability to occupy children with various and

useful activities for many became a serious test.

At the individual psychological level, monotony

cause a high level of anxiety, emotional lability,

apathy, melancholy. The lack of habitual employment

and the desire to reduce emotional stress quickly

enough leads to alcoholism, especially in men, which

provokes conflicts, increases verbal and physical

aggression. Already existing family problems are

aggravated, which require their resolution or

"relaxation". According to Ombudsman Tatyana

Moskalkova, in the spring of 2020 the number of

cases of domestic violence in Russia increased 2.5

times (RIA Novosti, 2020). The World Health

Organization has confirmed that domestic violence

during the pandemic in the countries of the world

increased by 25-30 % (Interfax, 2021).

After the end of the period of self-isolation, most

of the Russians were with anxiety. Due to

introduction of new restrictive measures, many

enterprises were forced to temporarily cease their

activities, and the fear of losing their jobs and

livelihoods intensified among people. During 2020,

incomes decreased by 3.5 %, the poor amounted to

19.4 million people (Tass.ru, 2021). The number of

unemployment increased, if in the previous year it

was 4.6 %, then in 2020 it is already 6.4 %, while the

average age of the unemployed is 35 years

(Rosstat.gov.ru, 2021). Economic problems, a high

probability of being infected, fear of becoming

seriously ill, of losing the ability to work, the collapse

of personal plans, a change in goals, or their

"postponement for an indefinite period", anxiety for

family and children, elderly relatives, all these facts

increased social tension, which increased the level of

victimization of the population.

Social dysadaptation of the population was

expressed in a decrease in the adaptive ability to adapt

to constantly changing circumstances in high-risk

conditions and in an uncertain time horizon.

Considering the individual psychological

characteristics, prolonged stress, a depressed state of

the psyche, in some people it increases depression and

suggestibility, reduces the criticality of thinking, in

others, on the contrary, they increase irritation, an

aggressive desire to “destroy” obstacles, immediately

take some action to restore “personal control "In a

situation of complete uncertainty. Along with

objective unfavorable socio-economic conditions,

negative psychological factors negatively affect a

person, including provoking illegal behavior.

Against the background of the psychological

frustration of the population caused by the pandemic

of COVID-19 coronavirus infection, the number of

various fraudulent schemes and falsifications has

sharply increased in the country, criminals have taken

advantage of poor awareness and heightened

suggestibility of citizens, reduced mobility, limited

social contacts, as well as sharply increased demand

for certain types of medical products (Urazaliev,

2020). For example, the scammers approached

citizens, through spam mailing, to transfer funds to

fight COVID-19, to a financial account allegedly

opened by the Government of the Russian Federation

or even the World Health Organization. There are

cases when, taking advantage of the temporarily

Society in the Pandemic Period: Criminal Background of Development

399

increased shortage of mechanical ventilation devices,

fraudsters either sold them at inflated prices, or

simply disappeared with money (Matskevich,

Bochkarev, 2020). The legislator took the necessary

measures in the field of information space Federal

Law No. 100-FZ "On Amendments to the Criminal

Code of the Russian Federation and Articles 31 and

151 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian

Federation"; Articles 207.1 and 207.2 have been

added to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation

(hereinafter referred to as the Criminal Code of the

Russian Federation), which are aimed at ensuring the

information security of society and increasing

responsibility for the dissemination of deliberately

false information about events and facts posing a

threat to the life and health, safety of citizens (Feder.

Law of July 31, 2020, No. 260-FZ. Access from the

reference legal system ConsultantPlus).

The level of crime and its most relevant types, is

an indicator not only of public safety, but an indicator

of social, economic, national problems, even more

they are manifested during periods of crises

(T.V. Shipunova). Understanding that the crisis

caused by the pandemic of COVID-19 coronavirus

infection is a long-term phenomenon that negatively

affects all spheres of life, most criminologists,

including Russian scientists, were confident in the

statistical increase in crime.

According to S.V. Milyukov: “In the sphere of

social pathologies, among which crime takes the

central place, and in modern conditions the growth in

the number of crimes can take on an explosive

character” (Milyukov, 2020). Based on the analysis

of the dynamics of crime over the previous five-year

period, as well as on the basis of a general analysis of

the existing socio-economic and political situation in

the context of a pandemic, several attempts were

made to predict the development of criminogenic and

victimological trends.

First, in a pandemic, the following types of crime

will increase: 1) selfish, 2) selfish and violent; 3)

political; 4) caused by interpersonal conflicts of a

different nature; 4) committed by labor migrants; 5)

in the field of computer information and using

information and telecommunication technologies

(see: Mayorov, Velikiy) .

Second, in the gender and age aspect, a significant

increase in the number of people who first “crossed

the line” of criminal behavior was predicted: 1) at the

expense of men who have lost their jobs or have the

opportunity to legally obtain financial income; 2)

women who have lost a stable source of income; 3)

graduates of educational institutions who have not

found employment; 4) young people who do not

agree to low-paid jobs; 5) involvement of minors and

children in criminal schemes (Matskevich,

Bochkarev, 2020).

Third, an increase in domestic violence was

expected for various reasons: deterioration of the

family's material condition; caused by a woman's

more workload than usual with household chores,

serving other family members (for example, in self-

isolation, when the whole family is constantly in the

living room for a long time, without the ability to

leave it); increased verbal conflict and physical

aggressiveness; alcoholization; mutual claims and the

impossibility of their resolution in the current

conditions (Akulenko, 2020).

Fourth, an increase in the amount of latent

(unreported or undeclared) crime, since the victims

will more "blame" the crisis situation, and not the

culprit. Strengthening the activities of organized

crime (OC). Slower and less successful investigation

of crimes by the police (a decrease in the number of

qualified employees and their required number, due

to COVID-19 coronavirus infection); at the same

time, use of the forces and means of the police, to a

greater extent, to maintain public order (for example,

in the case of riots caused by socio-economic tension,

and etc.) (Gotchina, 2020) .

Fifth, the determinants and the most active areas

of criminal acts will affect the expansion of the range

of subjects, the most vulnerable persons who have

become their victims. Taking into account the reasons

and conditions, it is possible to reasonably classify the

most victimized groups according to a number of

characteristics: 1) by age (pensioners, youth,

adolescents and children); 2) by gender (women and

young girls); 3) according to social status (persons

without a permanent place of residence and income;

migrants; convicts in places of deprivation of liberty);

4) for professional employment (medical workers,

law enforcement officials); 5) in the zone of increased

victimological risk, there are also “criminal elements”

themselves (Kazakova, 2020).

Europol CEO Catherine de Baule names a number

of reasons behind criminal attacks during the

pandemic (EUROPOL, 2021). Her report indicates

that the number of falsifications and fraudulent

schemes has increased, the activity of organized

criminal groups has increased, which quickly adapted

their methods in the new conditions and profit from

the global crisis, from the sale of counterfeits,

"miraculous" drugs to tests and other "shadow"

services. Crime very quickly "spilled over" from the

offline environment to the online and shadow

Internet, the number of sites providing "services" of

online casinos and cyber sex, as well as the "veiled"

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sale of drugs, is constantly growing (Pravo.ru, 2021).

In some countries, the growth of crime committed

with use of information and telecommunication

technologies and the field of computer information

increased by 103 %.

Fraud has increased dramatically. Fake

coronavirus test kits were sold in Kenya. In

Switzerland, criminals posing as civil servants asked

for access to property in order to disinfect. In South

Africa, the National Reserve Bank has warned of

fraudsters who have come up with a creative way to

rob the population by posing as bank employees

"collecting" banknotes they claim are infected with

the virus.

In a number of countries, during the pandemic,

there were clear changes in the direction and type of

crime, especially with the introduction of lockdown

and tough measures limiting population mobility and

access to public places. For example, introduction of

restrictive measures in El Salvador led to a sharp

decrease in violent crime, in the Balkan countries

during the period of social isolation the number of

murders decreased, in Bosnia, where car theft was

one of the leading criminal characteristics, there are

also decreasing trends (Kazakova, 2020).

In some countries in South America, where

kidnapping, as well as forced labor (slavery), is a

"traditional" type of crime, the number of crimes of

this type has increased. This is largely due to the fact

that the police focused on preventing looting and

riots. Wherein, there were also forced measures that

increase crime. In Indonesia, India and Afghanistan,

in order to preserve the health of prisoners, some of

them were free, for example, in India – 34 thousand

people (Bhardwaj).

During the first wave of coronavirus infection,

criminal markets changed significantly, sales of

counterfeit medicines and fake business increased in

a number of countries, including in East Asia (China,

Mongolia, South Korea, the Philippines, Japan),

which are characterized by strict discipline of citizens

and a low level of crime (Zavtra.ru, 2021).

An important aspect of 2021 was the active

vaccination of the population in all countries of the

world, as this will allow stabilizing the situation in all

spheres of public life at the state level. For example,

vaccination coverage in China is 85 %, in South

Korea – 79.5 %, in Japan – 75 %. In Russia, as of

December 1, 2021, fully vaccinated (with a two-

component vaccine preparation) is 39.9 %(Gogov.ru,

2021), and 67 % (vaccinated with the first component

of the vaccine). In Russia, there is a large amount of

unreliable and deliberately false information about

vaccination in the Internet space, and the

requirements for its need, from a part of the

population, are compensated by the purchase of

falsified covid certificates (Pervichko et al., 2020).

Therefore, on the one hand, this criminal sector is

actively developing, on the other hand, the process of

ending the pandemic caused by the spread of the

COVID-19 coronavirus infection and its strains in

Russia is artificially “delayed”, and this prolongs the

economic downturn, increases social tension, and

reduces mobilization opportunities both the

population and the implementation of state measures

to normalize all spheres of public life.

4 RESULT DISCUSSION

It seems important to compare the forecasts of the

development of the criminological situation in the

Russian Federation, the main types of crimes and

their direction, based on official statistics for January

- December 2020, in comparison with the same period

of the previous year. Not all predictions came true,

but most of them were presented by criminologists.

1. For the period January - December 2020,

2,044.2 thousand crimes were registered, which is

1.0 % more than in the same period last year. The

total damage from crimes amounted to 512.8 billion

rubles, which is 18.3 % less than in the previous year.

More than half (55.3 %) of crimes is theft of other

people's property: theft (Article 158 of the Criminal

Code of the Russian Federation) – 751.2 thousand (a

decrease of 3.0 %); fraud (article 159 of the Criminal

Code of the Russian Federation) – 335.6 thousand (an

increase of 30.5 %); robberies (Art. 161 of the

Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) –

38.4 thousand (a decrease of 16.2 %); robbery (Art.

162 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation)

– 5.3 thousand (decrease by 21.7 %) (data of the

Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian

Federation, 2020). Therefore, there is a projected

increase in fraud, including use of electronic means

of payment.

2. The number of violent crimes, including

murder – intentional infliction of death, decreased,

22.7 thousand people died (-5.2 %); 35.6 thousand

people were seriously injured (-6.9 %). The so-called

"street crime" demonstrates the dynamics of decline

(robberies (- 24 %), thefts (- 18.5 %), robberies (-

23.3 %)), which will explain the introduction of a

period of self-isolation and a number of restrictive

measures affecting mobility of citizens.

3. Law enforcement agencies detected

105.5 thousand crimes of an economic nature, in

general, this is a slight increase of 0.5 %. However,

Society in the Pandemic Period: Criminal Background of Development

401

alarming is the fact that serious crimes in the total

number of economic crimes is 61 %, which means an

increase in white-collar crime by 83.9 %. There is an

increase in corruption schemes, and their total

damage amounted to 45 billion rubles (Tass.ru,

2021). Financial and material damage from economic

crime is estimated at 339.5 billion rubles, many

crimes are associated with implementation of national

projects (in the field of demography, affordable

housing, health care, highways, and etc.)

development of the country, destabilize the

population, initiate an increase in crime and become

a threat to national security.

4. Among persons who have committed crimes,

the share of persons without a permanent source of

income increased slightly by 0.1 % and previously

convicted persons by 0.3 %. More than half (59.8 %)

of investigated crimes were committed by persons

who had already committed crimes. 1.5 % fewer

crimes committed by foreign citizens and stateless

persons. In this proportion of crimes, the forecasts

were not confirmed.

5. It shall be noted that the largest number of

crimes – 510.4 thousand, were committed using

information and telecommunication technologies and

in the field of computer information, an increase for

the entire period for January - December of 2020 is

73.4 %. Forecasts for these areas and types of crimes

were fully confirmed.

6. Based on the analysis of statistical data, it can

be stated that in Russia in a pandemic situation, not

only has there not been a significant increase in crime,

moreover, in most areas of crime, there has been a

clear decrease. Therefore, the vast majority of the

population of Russia remained law-abiding and did

not cross the threshold of crime, in many respects this

was facilitated by economic programs to support the

poor, large families, as well as support for enterprises

and businesses, which, despite the transition to a

remote mode of work, made it possible to save jobs,

and not create a collapse of unemployment and

poverty, although the income of citizens has

undoubtedly decreased. The delay in the process of

overcoming the pandemic causing the economic

recession, the rise in unemployment and the further

decline in incomes are an area of fragile balance that

can become a mechanism for the growth of seizure

rates and an increase in citizens' victimization.

7. The dynamics of criminalization by type of

crime in the Russian Federation during COVID-19

pandemic of coronavirus infection and its strains,

demonstrates coincidence with global trends in the

development of areas of crime. First, a reduction in

violent crime, including homicide. Second, the

intensification of the activities of organized criminal

groups in all countries of the world, including Russia,

as well as a high level of their adaptation to rapidly

changing negative conditions, use of all "vulnerable"

places created by the situation of the global pandemic.

As noted by foreign and Russian criminologists,

organized crime has adapted to the pandemic faster

than law enforcement agencies and government

agencies. Third, the high dynamics of the commission

of crimes, practically of all types, is stated with use of

information and telecommunication technologies and

in the field of computer information. It is these areas

that are the most relevant and “vulnerable”, which

require the attention of law enforcement agencies and

the adoption of new, more effective methods of

counteraction, the development of preventive

measures, the protection of victims and the

development of new legislative acts. Fourth, the

health sector requires more attention, and everything

related to counterfeit medical products and the

shadow production of drugs.

8. Psychological and sociological studies confirm

that a crisis and indefinitely long-term situation

caused by the pandemic of the COVID-19

coronavirus infection and its strains causes chronic

stress and increases the social and psychological

stress of people. With the confluence of individual

conditions caused at different stages of the

development of a pandemic situation, anxiety,

frustration, apathy, fear, anger increase, which

reduces the level of individual adaptation, increases

suggestibility and victimization, in other cases –

aggressiveness and impulsivity. Negative external

circumstances, refracting through the internal state,

increase the risk of becoming a “victim” or

“criminal”. Therefore, reliable information in the

mass media, the availability of professional

psychological support, the stabilization of the socio-

economic sphere, as well as the "containment" of

crime, in the perception of citizens at the "usual

level", make it possible to more effectively

implement government measures aimed at

overcoming the pandemic and the crises caused by it,

almost all spheres of public life.

9. In the context of a pandemic, self-isolation,

restrictive measures and a number of negative factors,

more attention shall be paid to the predictable

increase in domestic violence, which has increased in

almost all countries of the world, according to various

expert estimates by 25-30 %. It shall also be

remembered that the facts of domestic violence have

a high level of latency, and only cases of victims'

treatment are recorded. In Russia, during the period

of the pandemic, there was no recorded significant

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increase in the facts of domestic violence, but in

reality this is probably not the case. In this direction,

it is necessary to develop a number of programs to

provide counseling, psychological and legal support

to potential and real victims of domestic violence,

including taking into account the situation of the

pandemic and similar crises.

10. The expected increase in juvenile delinquency

did not occur, more in Russia there has been a

decrease in this area over the past five years by 39 %,

and in 2020 the decrease was 3.8 %. However, it is

necessary to pay attention to a new and still poorly

studied form of violence in the Internet space –

cyberbullying. In a pandemic, most of the population

went online. Any person can become a victim of a

cyber-aggression, but adolescents are at greater risk

of victimization, due to their psychological and age-

related characteristics and are vulnerable. This can

lead to trauma, breakdowns, suicide, and impulsive

aggression. As the number of Internet users grows, so

does the number of cyber attackers and their victims.

The police must implement cyber filtering measures.

The most effective preventive method is awareness of

underage Internet users and other age groups, as well

as their legal protection.

5 CONCLUSIONS

The pandemic caused by the spread of COVID-19

coronavirus infection and its strains differentially

affects crime, for some types of crime it creates

insurmountable obstacles or significant restrictions,

for others there is a period of prosperity and

activation, the criminal world is quickly adapting,

using all the niches that have arisen, new types of

criminal acts are emerging.

It is necessary to conduct targeted research on the

problems of the criminalization of society during

socio-biological crises, to minimize the consequences

of a criminal orientation during a pandemic, to

develop preventive measures aimed at reducing the

victimization of the population, as well as adequate

means of combating crime. The most vulnerable of

the population turned out to be in the environment of

the Internet space, which requires increased security

in the field of telecommunication technologies and

computer information.

Since the pandemic caused by the spread of the

COVID-19 coronavirus infection and its strains is

global in nature, it is necessary to exchange positive

experience in overcoming and building a constructive

international dialogue.

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