Is Poland safe? Do people feel safe in Poland? Personal security (bezpieczeństwo osobiste) is a core element (kluczowy element) for the well-being of individuals, and largely reflects the risks of people being physically assaulted or falling victim to other types of crime (przestępstwo). In Poland, 1.8% of people reported falling victim to assault over the previous 12 months. There is little difference between men and women in assault rates, at slightly over 1%.

The homicide rate (liczba zabójstw) (the number of murders per 100,000 inhabitants) is a more reliable measure of a country’s safety level (poziom bezpieczeństwa kraju) because, unlike other crimes, murders are usually always reported to the police (policja). Poland’s homicide rate is 1.3. In Poland the homicide rate for men is 2.0 compared with 0.7 for women.

Fear of crime is another important indicator as it can constrain behavior, restrict freedom and threaten the foundation of communities. Despite a general reduction in assault rates in the past five years, in many countries feelings of security have declined. In Poland, 63% of people feel safe walking alone at night. While men are at a greater risk of being victims of assaults and violent crimes, women report lower feelings of security than men . This has been explained by a greater fear of sexual attacks (ataki na tle seksualnym), the feeling they must also protect their children and their concern that they may be seen as partially responsible .

Social status also has an impact on victimization (znęcanie się) rates and perception of security. People with higher income and higher education usually report higher feelings of security and face lower risks of crime. This can be explained by the fact they can afford better security and are less exposed to criminal activity such as youth gangs or drug smuggling. In Poland, the assault rate for the bottom 20% of the population is 0.2% higher than that for the top 20%.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)