CYIL vol. 15 (2024)

VIOLETA VASILIAUSKIENĖ, BIRUTĖ PRANEVIČIENĖ violence against persons with disabilities, and maintaining a register of negative incidents in social care institutions to prevent future occurrences. Analysis of the Lithuanian legal framework shows that comprehensive protections against violence, particularly for vulnerable individuals in social care institutions, through constitutional and criminal law provisions are provided. However, there are gaps and inconsistencies in implementation and enforcement, as well as in the specific guidance provided to social care institutions. While the legal framework outlines general principles and requirements for preventing violence, such as dignity, accessibility, and protection from abuse, it lacks specific, mandatory provisions tailored to the needs of children and adults with disabilities in social care institutions. Social care institutions are responsible for developing their own internal rules and procedures to prevent and respond to violence. This leads to variability in how effectively these measures are implemented, with some institutions having comprehensive guidelines and others relying on general documents like codes of ethics. Also it can be noted that there is lack of comprehensive definitions and guidelines: the definition of violence in legal and institutional documents is often general, lacking specificity on different forms of violence and the corresponding prevention and response measures. There is a need for more detailed guidelines and an algorithm for identifying and responding to violence, especially for adults. Research indicates a lack of specific provisions for preventing and responding to violence in many social care institutions. There is also a need for clear procedures and cooperative responses to violence, highlighting gaps in both policy and practice. There is a significant lack of cooperation and communication between different sectors and institutions, such as social and mental health services. Improved inter-sectoral cooperation and clear communication channels are essential for effectively supporting individuals experiencing violence. The effectiveness of violence prevention measures is ultimately dependent on the administration of each social care institution. While the Department of Supervision of Social Services can revoke licenses for non-compliance, the overall accountability mechanisms need strengthening to ensure consistent protection across all institutions. In summary, while Lithuania has established a solid legal foundation for protecting individuals with disabilities from violence, significant improvements are needed in the specificity of guidelines, consistency of implementation, inter-institutional cooperation, and monitoring to ensure effective protection in social care settings.

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