Knife-Related Crime in Poland (2011–2023): A Criminological Analysis of Social, Situational, and Legal Factors

Abstract

Over the past decade, Poland has experienced a notable prevalence of knife-related crimes. Forensic and criminological analyses indicate that knives remain among the most frequently used dangerous tools in violent offences, alongside blunt instruments and firearms. Despite this, Polish law does not classify knives as weapons under the Act on Weapons and Ammunition, resulting in limited preventive regulation. This article examines knife-related crime in Poland between 2011 and 2023 from a criminological, legal, and situational perspective. The study integrates official statistical data with criminological theory in order to interpret broader social and institutional contexts associated with knife-related violence. The analysis focuses not only on statistical trends but also on legal ambiguities, preventive challenges, migration-related pressures, situational opportunity structures, and patterns of violent interpersonal behaviour. The central research question of this study is: How can long-term trends in knife-related crime in Poland between 2011 and 2023 be interpreted in light of selected criminological theories and socio-legal factors? The study is based on the following hypothesis: Long-term trends in knife-related crime in Poland may be interpreted through criminological frameworks emphasizing situational opportunities, social control, urban concentration, and preventive legal regulation, while broader socio-demographic processes, including migration-related pressures, provide important contextual considerations. The findings indicate that although Poland maintains relatively lower levels of knife-related violence than several Western European countries, important legal and preventive challenges remain and warrant continued criminological and policy attention.