REVIEW PAPER
PROHIBITION VS CONTROL - A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CONDITIONS GOVERNING ACCESS TO FIREARMS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR SECURITY
1
Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna im. Jarosława Dąbrowskiego w Warszawie, Polska
2
Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna im. Jarosława Dąbrowskiego w Warszawie, Polska
A - Research concept and design; B - Collection and/or assembly of data; C - Data analysis and interpretation; D - Writing the article; E - Critical revision of the article; F - Final approval of article
Submission date: 2025-06-15
Final revision date: 2025-08-24
Acceptance date: 2025-08-24
Publication date: 2025-08-24
Corresponding author
SBN 2025;37(3): 63-90
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Access to firearms remains one of the most frequently contested issues in public, academic and legislative discourses across the world. Mass shootings, in particular, often contribute to the securitisation of the debate and prompt intensified political controversies over the regulation of firearm ownership and possession. The subject of this study comprises the conditions governing access to firearms in relation to public safety and policy regimes. The aim of the research is to investigate the relationship between legal regulations on firearm access, sociocultural conditions and the maintenance of public order and security in selected countries. Against the backdrop of a growing number of firearm-related incidents and mounting social tensions, this study seeks to identify correlations between different patterns of legal and sociocultural regulation and the ability of the state to safeguard its citizens. The main research problem focuses on a quasi-explanatory question: To what extent may conditions for accessing firearms be related to the state’s ability to provide security and stability to its population? A quasi-explanatory hypothesis was formulated: there is a relationship between societal norms regulating access to firearms and the level of both perceived and actual security within a state. The study is correlational in nature and is based on a non-reactive desk research method. Quantitative-frequency statistical data were described, and a qualitative context analysis of sociocultural conditions was performed. The article also presents a report from a review of the research landscape and a content validity check of a survey on access to firearms conducted with a group of university students in Poland. The results confirm the relationship outlined in the hypothesis. Additionally, significant differences were identified in the perception of guns as an instrument of defence, a symbol of social status or a potential threat to communal stability. The conclusions suggest the need for a more nuanced policy approach that considers cultural and social conditions. The review of the research landscape indicates that possession of firearms constitutes a complex phenomenon with multiple dimensions, legal, political, sociocultural, psychological, security, which collectively influence policy outcomes and the stability of the political order.
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