Archiwum Kryminologii (Dec 2021)
Świadomość społeczna jako czynnik efektywnego eliminowania handlu ludźmi w Polsce
Abstract
This article is devoted to the issue of awareness of human trafficking and forced labor among Poles. The analysis is based on the results of social opinion polls conducted in Poland between 1998 and 2020. Although there have been several such surveys, there is so far no summary or commentary on them in the Polish literature. There is extensive empirical material, however, some of the studies raise serious methodological doubts. Finally, interpretation of the results sometimes causes considerable controversy. In professional writing, the problem of social awareness of human trafficking has been discussed much less frequently than such issues as the scale of this phenomenon, the effectiveness of prosecution or the situation of the victims. The narrative axis of this article is Amitai Etzioniʼs concept of an active society. This author argues that a sense of community comes down to the development of optimal responses to emerging social needs. Therefore, questions have to be asked about whether Polish society perceives the problem of human trafficking as important, and whether it has developed the kind of readiness that guarantees that it will "deal" with it in the best possible way. In light of the data collected, and the analysis carried out, the proposed answer is decidedly negative. The article demonstrates that a low level of awareness from citizens became one of the factors that negatively affected the process of building an effective system of eliminating modern slavery in Poland. A poorly informed, passive, and most of all undemanding society turned out to be a “convenient” partner for the state apparatus, which never considered human trafficking to be one of its priorities. Even more, the state has almost completely neglected its duty to build a collective awareness of the danger of this crime, or to support societal responsibility for its victims.
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