The Polish Bulletin of Criminology (formerly Bulletin of the Professor Stanisław Batawia Polish Society of Criminology) has been published since 1991. Until 2008 it was published in paper form (eISSN: 2717-440X), and since 2009 it has been published only electronically. The aim of The Polish Bulletin of Criminology is first of all to promote Polish criminological thought, with particular emphasis on young scientists and individuals preparing doctoral dissertations who would like to publish their research or theoretical analysis. All submitted manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process before publication.
Instytut Nauk Prawnych Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Selected criminological and penal science publications published in 2025
Copyright (c) 2026 Redakcja Biuletynu Kryminologicznego https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
„Dirty work” in prison: Prison officers strategies for coping with physical, social and moral tainted
This article presents the concept of „dirty work”, coined by Everett Hughes. Research conducted in numerous countries has confirmed that correctional officers regularly face numerous difficult situations while also coping with negative assessments of their profession. Therefore, the article introduces the theory of physical, social, and moral contamination, applying it to the profession of security officer. Moral contamination threatens officers’ professional identity the most, while a strong professional culture and coping strategies protect against all dimensions of contamination. Based on a review of international literature, the article presents strategies of neutralization, reformulation, recalibration, reorientation, distancing, and disidentification. The need for further research is emphasized, particularly to deepen knowledge of the coping strategies employed by officers in the Polish penitentiary system.
Copyright (c) 2026 Bartosz Kwiatkowski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Sentenced to unemployment? The experience of seeking employment after incarceration
This article addresses the issue of re-entering the workforce after being released from prison. The aim of the study is to identify factors supporting and hindering ex-convicts in finding employment. The article also attempts to capture what views ex-convicts have on finding employment and its importance in their readaptation process. To achieve those objectives of the study, a qualitative research was conducted and entailed interviews with 4 ex-convicts. The analyses undertaken made it possible to map main factors influencing ex-convicts’ attempts to find employment and show their perspective on employment after being released from prison.
Copyright (c) 2026 W. Nowakowski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Law of Minors and the Criminology of Childhood in Authoritarian Brazil (1964–1985): A Historical Inquiry into the Governance of Underprivileged Children Under a Military Dictatorship*
This article examines the historical development of Brazilian juvenile law and its relationship with criminological thought during the 20th century, with an emphasis on the period of military dictatorship (1964–1985). The study employs qualitative document analysis to analyze legislative documents, official publications of the National Foundation for the Wellbeing of Minors (FUNABEM), and juridical writings such as Alyrio Cavallieri’s Law of Minors – A New Law in order to understand how the institutional response to the “minors problem” was articulated by the government and the legal community. It shows that, grounded in a biosocial and etiological model of crime, childhood vulnerability was reframed as a social pathology and translated into legal categories that legitimized segregating impoverished and marginalized children and justified authoritarian intervention in their lives. The resulting reorganization of the juvenile legal system under the dictatorship produced a technocratic, medicalized model of tutelage that sought to impose social control through disciplinary methods. A key aspect of this process was the consolidation of a specialized legal field – the Law of Minors – that claimed scientific autonomy based on the concept of an “irregular situation” and culminated in the enactment of the 1979 Code for Minors.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alexander Rodrigues de Castro https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Legal, Criminal, and Criminological Aspects of Environmental Protection on Svalbard: The Current State and Future Prospects
The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard represents one of the last remaining areas of wilderness in Europe. In July 2025, one hundred years had elapsed since the enactment of the Lov om Svalbard (The Svalbard Act), which established the legal framework governing this territory. The statute extended Norwegian legal standards to Svalbard in matters concerning criminal law and the administration of justice, while simultaneously excluding the applicability of mainland Norway’s environmental protection legislation. Owing to its exceptional natural characteristics, Svalbard is subject to a distinct regulatory regime introduced by the Lov om miljøvern på Svalbard (Svalbard Environmental Protection Act) of 2001. This Act provides a comprehensive framework for the conservation of the archipelago’s natural environment and cultural heritage. It embodies an integrated concept of protection that interlinks various forms of legal responsibility – criminal, administrative, and civil, within an axiological structure reflecting the legislature’s overarching objective: the preservation of Svalbard’s nearly pristine environment and its unique cultural legacy. This article attempts to outline the concept of this multifaceted system of protection (and its origins) and to assess whether – and to what extent – the existing regulations aim to punish offenders who violate environmental laws, as well as to explore the underlying rationale behind such punitive measures. The analysis is conducted in the context of the procedural rules applicable to cases governed by the Lov om miljøvern på Svalbard and the jurisprudence of the Norwegian Supreme Court. The assessment also takes into account the latest trends in environmental crime recorded in the archipelago, as well as the recent legislative responses to these developments. These responses address not only the observed trends but also other factors affecting the archipelago, such as climate change and the increasing influx of tourists, which together place Svalbard’s unique natural environment and cultural heritage under growing pressure.
Copyright (c) 2025 Katarzyna Witkowska-Rozpara https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Human trafficking as a challenge for the criminal justice system and criminal policy
The article addresses the issue of human trafficking, with particular emphasis on forced labour and sexual exploitation in prostitution as its dominant forms recruitment methods, mechanisms of coercion and exploitation, as well as the social, economic, and geopolitical factors that contribute to this phenomenon. The paper discusses the profiles of victims and perpetrators, the power relations between them, the structure of the human trafficking „market”, and the issue of coercion vs. apparent voluntariness of victims. It also examines the scale of the problem in Poland and the directions of national and international anti-trafficking policies, including an extended analysis of the National Action Plan against Human Trafficking for 2025–2027 (objectives, measures, coordination, funding, evaluation, implementation challenges). Furthermore, the principle of non-punishment of trafficking victims (for unlawful acts committed as a result of exploitation) is discussed in light of EU law and proposed changes in Polish law. The study incorporates the latest legal regulations case law, empirical data, and strategic documents. The analysis is based on normative acts, academic literature, and official reports. The aim of the article is to highlight the multidimensional nature of human trafficking and the necessity of coordinated prevention and prosecution efforts in the context of transnational organized crime.
Copyright (c) 2026 Tomasz Ziemniak https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
3rd edition of the "Criminology and Public Safety" conference series, titled "Applied forensics and criminology: between theory and evidence - based practice"
Copyright (c) 2025 dr hab. Przemysław Frąckowiak , mgr Magdalena Borowiak https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Polskie #MeToo. Analiza feministyczno-kryminologiczna
#MeToo movement erupted globally in 2017 and was aimed at making violence against women visible. Women all over the world via social media platforms denounced violence they suffered and evidenced its ubiquity in their lived experiences. The criminal justice system was deemed inadequate in tackling this deep-rooted social phenomenon. But did it really turn out to be a better solution? In my paper drawing on high-profile #MeToo cases in Poland (the case of „paper feminists”, Janusz Rudnicki, Margot, Bagatela Theatre) I will try to elaborate on the fundamental question, was (or still is being) #MeToo good for women, particularly in raising awareness on violence against women and sexual violence and changing social attitudes. In order to do so I trace the development of the phenomena from 2017 to 2022 in Poland. The greatest legacy of #MeToo is the culture of online callouts and „cancel culture” for the people accused of sexual violence as a way of doing justice. However, the interesting point is that #MeToo evolved into tracing harassment at work, mobbing (rarely with any sexual component), and only in specific realms – artistic milieus or elite professions like journalism. It seems that personal arrangements favors, injuries, and acts of vengeance played a crucial role rather than the gravity of deeds. A movement that was primarily aimed at making visible male violence against women turned out against women themselves since a lot of women have been targeted by callouts. It did not either replace or supplant the criminal justice system, albeit the consequences of „cancelling” for some accused were harsh, sometimes harsher than judicial sanctions.
Copyright (c) 2024 Magdalena Grzyb https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Polska manosfera na Facebooku. Analiza mowy nienawiści w społecznościach internetowych
In this article, I address the issue of hate speech, discrimination and victim blaming in the Polish manosphere – an online space bringing together men who feel threatened by contemporary changes in gender roles. The aim of the conducted research is to identify the scale and nature of these phenomena in the content published on Polish manosphere groups on Facebook. Based on quantitative and qualitative analyses of comments and posts, I have identified the dominant narratives and their escalation. The research shows not only the scale of negative behaviours in the Polish manosphere, but also which factors influence their occurrence. I conclude the article with a discussion of the results, an indication of the limitations of the research and recommendations for counteracting the escalation of hate speech in the Internet space.
Copyright (c) 2024 Agnieszka Włodarska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Monitoring position in the prison and counteracting suicides of persons deprived of liberty
This paper presents considerations on the monitoring stand, as one of the elements counteracting negative events involving persons deprived of liberty – including suicide attempts. Legal regulations were analyzed, including changes that have occurred over the years – both in the prevention of suicides of people deprived of their liberty, as well as changes in the monitor’s position. The subject of the study were the opinions of Prison Service officers serving in Barczewo prison, which will be further analyzed. The aim of the study was to identify events for monitored purposes, including the scale of suicide attempts. In the following part, an attempt was made to evaluate the legal provisions relating to the issue of suicides for monitored purposes and to indicate potential changes in the monitor’s station
Copyright (c) 2025 Bartosz Zając https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Body-worn cameras and the use of force during arrest. Results of case file analysis
In recent years, body-worn cameras have been increasingly adopted in the police departments. Their use is expected to help prevent both abuse of authority and the prevalence of aggression targeted against officers. They are also supposed to facilitate quality evidence gathering or reduce the number of unfounded complaints. However, the current state of knowledge on their effectiveness is inconclusive; there is also a lack of research on their use in Poland and other countries in the region. Within the framework of the research, a case file study was conducted, aiming at studying the potential of body-worn cameras in the context of arrest and aggressive behaviors of both officers and the arrestees. Also covered was the use of cameras in the context of the court proceedings. The research was based on an analysis of case files from district courts subordinate to the Warsaw Court of Appeals and focused on the cases of arrest complaints and the failure to comply with epidemic regulations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Zuzanna Ganczewska, Marta Prus https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The phenomenon of gambling crime on the example of slot machines
This article aims to present issues related to the expansion of gambling crime on slot machines in our country. The publication presents basic information related to both the location of gambling in Polish legislation, actions taken by state authorities in the fight against this phenomenon, as well as statistical aspects. This publication aims to show the changes that have taken place in gambling crime over the years 2010-2023, in comparison with the amendment to the law regulating the functioning of the gambling market in Poland. The article also points to certain aspects that may be useful in combating gambling crime on slot machines. The latest, so far unpublished, statistical data of the Ministry of Finance in the field of combating gambling crime will also be presented
Copyright (c) 2024 Zygmunt Dudek https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Invisible Punishment – the situation of children with incarcerated parents
The impact of parental incarceration on children, particularly in Polish society, remains an insufficiently explored topic in academic research. This article seeks to analyze the consequences of parental imprisonment, focusing on its emotional, social, cognitive-behavioral, and health-related dimensions experienced by children. The forms of contact between children and incarcerated parents and their effects are examined. National and international initiatives aimed at supporting family bonds, such as rehabilitation programs and the efforts of non-governmental organizations, are discussed. The authors emphasize the need for in-depth studies to enable a more comprehensive understanding of the long-term consequences of this phenomenon and to guide more effective support measures. This article aims to highlight an underappreciated area of research and establish a foundation for new support initiatives aimed at aiding affected children.
situation of children with incarcerated parents
Copyright (c) 2025 Martyna Karalus, Jan Majewski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS IN CRIMINOLOGY AND PENAL STUDIES PUBLISHED IN 2024
Copyright (c) 2025 Paweł Ostaszewski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Prohibition on conducting specific economic activity as an element of the economic crime prevention system
This article addresses the issue of the penal measure typified in Article 39, point 2 of the Penal Code, i.e. the ban on conducting a specific economic activity. The article presents the essence and content of the ban in question, as well as its place in the system of preventing economic crimes. In addition, critical remarks are also presented regarding the implementation of the functions and objectives of criminal law through the institution of the above-mentioned penal measure. The final part of the article discusses the methodology of the author’s own research and the analysis of empirical results. To sum up the considerations concerning the analyzed ban, proposals for changes in the scope of the real effectiveness of ruling a ban on conducting a specific economic activity are presented.
Copyright (c) 2025 Michał Dziedzic https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Sprawozdanie z III Kongresu Kryminologicznego 23-24 września 2024 r. Białystok
Copyright (c) 2024 Emilia Jurgielewicz-Delegacz, Justyna Omeljaniuk, Magdalena Perkowska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
European survey on gender-based violence (GBV) – results from Polish research
This article was prepared on the basis of a nationwide victimization survey conducted in 2021-2023 by the Central Statistical Office. The Polish study, co-financed by EUROSTAT, was part of the European research on gender-based violence (GBV) and was carried out in 21 countries. The actual study was preceded by multi-phase preparations, accompanied by, m.in others, working group meetings and specialist consultations. A pilot study was conducted in 2017-2019 to test research methods and tools. In some countries, it was decided to carry out a study on the general population, among women and men. In Poland, the actual study was carried out only on the female population. 5,247 respondents from all sixteen Polish provinces took part in the survey. According to the assumptions, the youngest person participating in the study was over 18 years old, while the oldest was 74 years old. During the study, women were asked about their experiences related to physical, sexual and psychological violence, including by a partner or other relatives, as well as cases of harassment and sexual harassment. In addition, the respondents were asked about their experiences of violence in childhood and about their knowledge of institutions providing assistance to people experiencing violence. The answers show a significant prevalence of violence against women, in most cases not reported to the relevant institutions. Almost every fifth woman has experienced psychological violence from her partner (current or former), every ninth - physical violence, every twenty-eight - sexual. Physical violence from people who are not partners was experienced by 7% of the respondents surveyed, and sexual violence – by 1%. To illustrate, it is worth noting that only 15% of women reported incidents to the police. In addition, one in 10 women has experienced harassment (stalking) and one in 8 has experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.
Copyright (c) 2024 Anna Więcek-Durańska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Mobile phone smuggling in a penitentiary unit from the perspective of Prison Service officers
This paper addresses the issue of mobile phone smuggling to prisons. This is a serious problem faced by the Prison Service in Poland. According to the respondents, this phenomenon, despite a few events, has a negative impact on the functioning of penitentiary units. The aim of the research was to find answers to questions about the main places of mobile phone disclosure, to determine people interested in the trafficking of illegal phones in prisons, or to compare the phenomenon of smuggling with the corruption of officers.
Copyright (c) 2024 Bartłomiej Zając https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Sprawozdanie z XXIV Konferencji Europejskiego Towarzystwa Kryminologicznego, 11 – 14 września 2024 r. – Bukareszt (Rumunia)
Conference of the European Society of Criminology
Copyright (c) 2024 Konrad Buczkowski, Szymon Nawrocki https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Whitewashing of serial killer characters in movies and TV series
The article addresses the subject of whitewashing the characters of serial killers portrayed in films and TV series. The author observes the tendency in cultural works to justify or explain criminal behavior, sometimes removing the blame from the offender. The research was conducted in a quantitative strategy using the author’s survey questionnaire. The purpose of presented research was to find out the opinions of adolescents and young adults on the appearance of the phenomenon of whitewashing characters of serial killers in movies and TV series. The analysis showed that the respondents mostly did not manifest this tendency. However, it is worth mentioning that there were difficulties in answering clearly. The youngest age group (13-15) was the least confident in its choices. In view of the perceived danger, preventive recommendations have been made for those at risk of justifying or explaining the perpetrator. They can be used by those working with adolescents, educational organizers, parents or adolescents themselves. They providing knowledge about the phenomenon of whitewashing, raising awareness of the manipulation occurring in cultural works, teaching reflexive reception of content, valuable selection of cultural texts and assertive perception or expression of one’s own opinion.
Copyright (c) 2024 Sandra Lewandowska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Wrongful convictions in Poland. Survey research among Polish attorneys
Wrongful convictions, being one type of miscarriage of justice, show the pathologies of the judicial system at various stages, from preparatory proceedings through court proceedings to, eventually, rulings. Despite it being a highly adverse phenomenon which influences social reality in a negative manner on numerous levels, it still remains insufficiently researched and understood. The problem of wrongful convictions has been identified in many systems around the globe, however, copious western publications concentrating on various facets of the matter at hand, though undoubtedly helpful, have not managed to fill the gap in Polish legal studies dealing with the subject. This article was written basing on questionnaires completed by Polish criminal defense attorneys. The aim of this study was to aggregate the experiences and opinions of this group of professionals about the issue of wrongful convictions in Poland. Namely, its causes, frequency of occurrence, types of crimes it pertains to and the profiles of those who were wrongfully convicted. The obtained results, although certainly not fully comprehensive, do in fact shed significant light on the problem of wrongful convictions and the awareness of Polish lawyers in this regard.
Copyright (c) 2024 Małgorzata Kujawa, Emilia Banaś https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The importance of prison work as a determinant of adaptation to life in society
The study aims to analyse the importance of one of the means of penitentiary influence on convicts - work. The reader will have the opportunity to find out what role work can play in human life and discover its sociological and axiological dimension, as well as the essence of its application during a prison sentence. In the course of the deliberations, its rehabilitation values and legal norms related to the employment of prisoners are discussed. Moreover, the article attempts to answer questions concerning the current state of employment of convicts, the perception of work by persons in penitentiary isolation, its usefulness and potential impact on their lives and adaptation to society. It turns out that when work is organised in an appropriate manner, outside the prison and, above all, adequately remunerated, it is willingly undertaken by convicts and can be the basis for internal transformation.
Copyright (c) 2024 Katarzyna Frączek https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Sprawozdanie z międzynarodowej konferencji naukowej w 75. rocznicę uchwalenia Konwencji w sprawie zapobiegania i karania zbrodni ludobójstwa pt. „Prawne i społeczne skutki zbrodni prawa międzynarodowego w Ukrainie”, Warszawa 14 grudnia 2023 r.
The international scientific conference on the 75th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, entitled "The Legal and Social Consequences of Crimes of International Law in Ukraine. "Legal and social consequences of crimes of international law in Ukraine" was held on 14 December 2023 in the Senate Hall of the Kazimierz Palace of the University of Warsaw.
Copyright (c) 2023 Andriy Kosyło https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Report of the 23rd Conference of the European Society of Criminology, September 6-9, 2023 - Florence (Italy)
The text is a report on the XXIII Conference of the European Society of Criminology, held September 6 – 9, 2023. - Florence (Italy).
Copyright (c) 2023 Konrad Buczkowski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
I and II editions of the conference series „Criminology and Public Safety”
Since the year 2022, the Department of Criminology at the Stanisław Staszic Academy of Applied Sciences in Piła has been organizing an internationally acclaimed conference series titled: "Criminology and Public Safety". The implementation of this initiative was made possible through funding obtained as part of the Excellent Science - Support for Scientific Conferences program. Within the series, two scientific conferences have already taken place. In December 2022, a conference named: "Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Crime, Criminal Justice, and Public Safety" was conducted. Meanwhile, the conference organized in 2023 was titled: "Criminology and Social Problems in Times of Change: Theory, Method, and Practice". Due to the international scope of the conference series, its languages are Polish and English. The topics covered in the series generally revolve around four areas, which are: 1) the latest research results in criminology; 2) police work in the aspect of the latest research results; 3) contemporary trends in the theory and practice of rehabilitation; 4) global, local, and glocal contexts of public safety. The concept of the conference series has gained acceptance from a wide range of experts representing both academic environments and social practice from all over Poland, as well as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, Norway, and Ukraine. The concept of the conference series also includes the involvement of student discourse within it. Therefore, an essential point on the annual agenda is the Interuniversity Forum of Scientific Student Associations.
Copyright (c) 2023 Przemysław Frąckowiak , Piotr Chomczyński, Michał Szykut https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Report from the Jubilee Conference on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Criminological Scientific Club of the University of Warsaw
December 7, 2023 at the Institute of Social Prevention and Resocialization of the University of Warsaw at ul. Podchorążych 20, in the hall of prof. Czesław Czapów, an anniversary conference was held on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Criminological Scientific Club of the University of Warsaw.
Copyright (c) 2023 Szymon Nawrocki https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
“There were fewer calls, even though there was more violence”: Domestic violence in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, both NGOs and media around the world had reported an increase in domestic violence rates. Moreover, the nature of this violence has changed during the pandemic; monitoring organizations’ reports highlight both a rise in aggression and the emergence of violence in those families that were free from it before the pandemic. However, official statistics from Poland do not confirm these observations. The paper analyzes the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and domestic violence in Poland. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out based on Google Community Mobility Reports, Blue Card statistics, reported crime statistics, the Police Command Support System, NGO statistics, and 27 in-depth interviews conducted in 2020 with experts affiliated to law enforcement agencies and non-governmental organizations. A full picture of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be made other than through analysis of a comprehensive body data, with cross-checks of various data sources.
Copyright (c) 2023 Justyna Włodarczyk-Madejska, Paweł Ostaszewski, Joanna Klimczak https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Educational aims of punishment in Polish criminal law
Over the years, the criminal law regulations related to the sentencing directives have been modified. This depended on a number of factors, including the „view” on the educational issues of punishment, which evolved significantly on the grounds of particular sources of criminal law in Poland. The educational goals of punishment, i.e. the normative identity of re-socialisation, constituted and still constitutes a problematic element of the construction of criminal law and the relevant philosophy of punishment. In the light of the formal-dogmatic and historical-legal analysis of legal acts and the analysis of other documents found from the Polish lands in the times of the Partitions and ending with the latest amendment to the Penal Code of July 2022, it is possible to put forward a thesis that the educational purposes of punishment constitute an indispensable element of the proper functioning of the administration of justice and the guarantee of lawfully administered punishment.
Copyright (c) 2023 Sebastian Traczyk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The article presents the issue of illegal medicines trade in prisons. This is an example dangerous item, which influences on prisons safety and has an adverse effect on the functioning of penitentiary unit. The article is a research about illegal medicines trade among inmates, and shows potentially dangers of illegal medicines trade, additionally article indicates things that can be improve.
Copyright (c) 2023 Bartosz Zając https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The impact of the halo effect on the assessment of criminal acts and individuals involved in them
The purpose of this article is to present the impact of the halo effect on the assessment of criminal acts, as well as suspects, defendants, convicts and victims, made by society and representatives of institutions responsible for responding to them. The discussion of the aforementioned issue began with outlining the origin, mechanisms of action and features leading to the emergence of the discussed cognitive error in the light of recent psychological knowledge. Thereafter, an analysis of research on potential cognitive misconceptions in the assessment of criminal acts and sentencing was carried out. The theoretical part was concluded with a description of proposed explanations of the use of non-legal factors in submitted scope. The article was also enriched by the case studies conducted on three selected criminal cases regarding to which it may be suspected that the halo effect occurred. These are the cases of Cameron Coyle Herrin, Debra Jean Lafave and Magdalena Renata Kralka.
Copyright (c) 2024 Martyna Gembal https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0