Features of public perception of corruption-related crimes in the Nizhny Novgorod region: a criminological and sociological analysis

Introduction. The study is of relevance due to the need to explore and understand the nature of corruption in terms of Sociology, which is often hampered by the lack of effective tools for studying corruption in individual countries, regions, and cities. The purpose of the study is to identify real characteristics and features of perceptions of corruption by the population of the Nizhny Novgorod Region on the basis of relevant empirical data obtained using specific tools devised by the authors. Materials and Methods. The study is based on the materials of the questionnaire "Features of Corruption-Related Crimes in the Nizhny Novgorod Region: A Criminological Analysis" carried out using specific tools devised by the authors -the developed scales making it possible to identify respondents' attitudes to various corruption situations and the reasons that cause them by using a system of indirect questions (the projection method). Scales (with a minimum variable part) were also used in the subsequent questionnaire of representatives of small and medium-sized businesses, and police officers, making it possible to perform a comparative analysis of attitudes towards corruption in different groups of respondents. Results. Perception of corruption-related crimes by the population of the Nizhny Novgorod Region has been analyzed; patterns of the general level of tolerance for corruption, the correlation of sex, age, education, and place of residence of respondents with their attitude to corruption have been revealed. Attitudes of residents of the Nizhny Novgorod Region to corruption in everyday life have been systematized. The authors have identified significant factors affecting the level of corruption. A number of recommendations for employees of the internal affairs bodies involved in the implementation of preventive measures on corruption-related crimes have been formulated. Discussion and Conclusion. In the ordinary perception of the region's inhabitants, the concepts of 'corruption-related crimes' and 'corruption' do not coincide. Attribution of certain acts to manifestations of corruption-related crimes in some cases is caused not only by the general legal literacy of the population, but also by the peculiarities of the national mentality, culture, and sometimes professional affiliation. The results of the study are of both theoretical and practical significance and can be used to improve the work of regional divisions of the internal affairs bodies engaged in countering corruption.