In addition, Russia is also involving Ukrainian children in acts of sabotage and terrorist attacks against their own country, often without their knowledge.

However, apart from the crimes committed by Russia against Ukrainian children, there are other problems that have not disappeared with the start of the full-scale war and that affect minors, such as bullying, teenage fights, etc.

Ukrinform spoke with the head of the Ukrainian juvenile police, Vasyl Bohdan, about this, as well as about bullying in educational institutions, juvenile crime, and how to increase children’s trust in adults.

– How many crimes against children have been recorded in Ukraine since the start of the large-scale war, and how many of them were committed by Russians?

– Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 11,000 crimes against children have been recorded. The highest number was recorded in 2023, when there were almost 4,700 such crimes. In 2024, 3,400 such crimes were recorded. Here we see a 26% decrease in the number of these offences, and this figure is even lower than in 2021, before the war.

It should be noted that most of these crimes are serious and particularly serious offences, in particular against sexual freedom and sexual integrity. Bullying, internet fraud, etc. were also recorded.

We do not keep separate statistics on crimes committed specifically by Russians. But the figures we have speak for themselves – for example, as of today, at least 20,000 children have been deported by the Russians.

In general, we continue to see a downward trend in the number of crimes committed against children.

– When it comes to general criminal offences against children, what types of crimes against minors have been recorded most since the start of the full-scale war?

– In this context, I can say that since the start of the full-scale invasion, most crimes committed against children have been crimes against life and health. Among them, the most common are intentional bodily harm, beatings, torture, and sexual offences.

In 2024 alone, we recorded 546 such cases. These include sexual violence, sexual acts with persons under the age of 16, molestation and others. These crimes account for a significant proportion of the total number of offences committed against children, and this is an extremely sensitive issue.

We are, of course, taking this into account and stepping up our preventive work with educational institutions. We are also involving parents in this process, because without joint action it will be very difficult for us to prevent such offences.

– How has the structure of crime changed in terms of crimes committed by children themselves, comparing the periods before and after the start of the full-scale war? What trends and major changes in this area can we talk about now?

– Since the start of the full-scale invasion, minors in Ukraine have committed more than 8,500 criminal offences. Most often these are thefts, bodily harm, etc.

It should be noted here that, for example, the number of crimes committed by children in the first year of the full-scale war decreased significantly compared to the pre-war year of 2021 – by almost 40%.

This is partly explained by restrictions on the movement of people, the transition of schools to distance learning, changes in lifestyle, the temporary occupation of territories and the evacuation of the population, including abroad.

In 2023, unfortunately, we saw an increase in the number of such cases compared to 2022, but in 2024 we again recorded a decrease in such offences. And now the number of these crimes continues to decline.

Another new phenomenon that we are increasingly encountering is digital crime – fraud through social networks, participation in various schemes in which children are involved by criminals and even hostile special services. For example, in 2024 alone, the number of fraud cases involving minors increased by almost 30%.

It should be noted that both COVID-19 and the war have created favourable conditions for the spread of such phenomena.

Speaking in general about crimes committed by children, over the past eight years, thanks to preventive measures, we have seen a downward trend in the number of these offences.

– Can you tell us whether children most often commit crimes alone or in groups? And what are the most common reasons and factors behind why they do this?

– A significant proportion of crimes are committed by teenagers alone, although there are also cases where offences are committed by groups. What they have in common are the reasons behind them. Most of these children are raised in difficult conditions without proper supervision.

Among the reasons for this, we see problems in the family, low levels of well-being, abuse by parents or guardians, alcohol, drugs, and the influence of criminal subculture, etc.

The main reason here is the lack of life experience and understanding of the consequences among the children themselves. That is why it is important for adults to be close to children and teach them to distinguish between what is acceptable and what is dangerous.

– In April this year, a teenager in the Kirovohrad region was sentenced to corrective labour instead of a prison term. How effective do you think this method is – imposing a more lenient punishment on children instead of imprisonment for crimes committed? And do you think this practice should be scaled up across Ukraine?

I believe that this practice is effective and necessary. In general, it is a path to the rehabilitation of the child, not to recidivism.

In most cases, when it comes to offences committed through carelessness, peer pressure or difficult life circumstances, harsh punishment in the form of imprisonment not only does not help, but sometimes even harms.

Our goal, as the police, juvenile prevention, and part of the state, is not to break the child, but to help them rethink their actions so that they understand where they made the wrong decision and what they should have done in a given situation, to help them change and get on the right track.

And it is community service or other alternative sanctions instead of prison terms that give them the opportunity to do so.

This form of responsibility also allows us not to separate the child from socialisation, to ensure their connection with their family, and at the same time teaches them that they must be responsible for all their actions.

If this is combined with educational work, the involvement of psychologists, and community support, the combined effect can be much stronger than that of the classic punitive model, so to speak.

Currently, we are working with the Office of the Prosecutor General to implement a pilot project on the implementation of international standards of child-friendly justice. And it is yielding positive results.

Therefore, in my opinion, this practice should not only be supported, but systematically scaled up throughout Ukraine — of course, with the caveat that lenient punishment should only be applied in cases where it is truly appropriate. In other words, it is not necessary to release everyone from imprisonment, nor is it necessary to do so in situations with serious consequences or in cases of repeat offences.

– Let’s talk about the recruitment of Ukrainian children by Russians. Has Russia started doing this less now? And can we say that in some regions of Ukraine children are recruited more often, and in others less? Does geography play a role here?

– Recently, we have seen a slight but steady decline in the recruitment of children by Russians. This has been achieved primarily through systematic preventive measures.

Geography is not a significant factor here. These cases occur throughout the country. Of course, in large regions, the proportion of recruited children is higher. In particular, this refers to the Odesa, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv regions, as well as Kyiv. However, this does not mean that children in other regions are not at risk or that the likelihood is lower.

– How many teenagers have been detained since the start of the full-scale war for committing acts of sabotage and terrorism while carrying out tasks for the Russian Federation? And were there any children among those who agreed to do this who were aware that they could die as a result of carrying out these tasks?

– This year, we have recorded 65 cases of criminal offences of a sabotage nature involving 62 children aged 13 to 17. These are not just numbers, these are tragedies that could have been avoided.

The main motivation that can be identified after communicating with such children is financial. These teenagers also have a desire to assert themselves or a blind belief that they will not be caught.

But none of the children realised that they could die or suffer terrible injuries. They all considered it an easy side job, sometimes without even knowing that they were working for the enemy.

That is why we are talking about the importance of preventive work and conducting an active information campaign on this issue — so that every child knows that such offers should not be accepted.

– How often do children report attempts by Russians to recruit them? And speaking of the preventive information campaign conducted by the National Police, in particular, relevant lessons in schools in conjunction with law enforcement colleagues, how effective do you think it is?

– The number of reports we receive about attempts to recruit children increases in direct proportion to the increase in the intensity of this information campaign.

As of today, we have received almost 70 such reports from children about attempts to recruit them. And this is directly related to the information campaign currently being conducted by the juvenile prevention service in conjunction with the Security Service of Ukraine and educators.

We visit schools, talk to teenagers without moralising, honestly explain how the enemy works, what recruitment is, and what it can lead to. And we talk not only to children, but also to parents and teaching staff, communicating and explaining how to identify it and how to talk to children about it. And this set of measures gives us exactly these results.

The main goal here is not just to tell them, to talk about it, but to make sure that the child knows that they are not alone and that they can stop this crime before it happens.

– What responsibility will children bear who, for example, without realising what they were getting themselves into, carried out a few easy tasks from their supervisors, and after the supervisors gave them a difficult task, realised what was happening and wanted to report it to adults? Should they be afraid to report it to the police? Should they be afraid of, for example, imprisonment? Where does administrative responsibility end and criminal responsibility begin?

– If a child realises that someone is trying to involve them in a crime and reports it to adults or the police, or to the police together with adults, then this is an extremely correct and important step, and there is no need to be afraid in this situation.

When it comes to liability, each situation is unique. It depends on a large number of factors, including age and what the child has actually done.

If, for example, it is a matter of putting up posters or painting graffiti, this can be classified as an administrative offence. If a minor, even without realising it, has helped the enemy in sabotage activities, this falls under the Criminal Code.

But if the child stopped, did not complete the crime and voluntarily turned to the police, this is considered a mitigating circumstance. Law enforcement officers will meet such a child halfway, help them and support them, because we understand how important and difficult this step is for them.

It is very important that even in such situations, children are not afraid to tell the truth and turn to the police. This is a chance to prevent a tragedy that could happen.

Maria Gonchar, Kyiv

Photo by Danilo Antonuk