SPOŁECZNO-PSYCHOLOGICZNE ASPEKTY POSIADANIA BRONI

Abstract

At the beginning, the author lists psychological functions of possessing of weapon: • ensuring the sense of security, • desire to discourage a potential aggressor, • emphasis on self-esteem, • an intention to commit a crime, etc. Then, he analyses the motives for applying for a gun license, among which the most popular one is the sense of a personal threat or a threat to one’s relatives. He presents an in-depth discussion of the question of weapon availability in the United States, the European Union and Poland. In conclusion, the author analyses the psychological consequences of possessing weapons, whether real or electronic. Eventually, he quotes some statistical data concerning the attitudes of Poles towards weapons and their availability.