Milašiūnaitė, Vilma

Professional (occupational) victimisation in policing—manifesting as external aggression from the public, internal harassment and bullying, and organisational/systemic forms of secondary victimisation—poses significant risks to officers’ well-being, perceived safety and organisational performance. Lithuania has developed a multi-layered prevention and support architecture that combines labour-law prohibitions of violence and harassment, occupational safety and health (OSH) duties to manage psychosocial risks, organisational procedures for reporting and case-handling, and statutory provisions for psychological, medical and rehabilitation support. However, empirical evidence remains limited regarding how police officers assess the practical effectiveness of these formally established measures and how often they are used. The purpose of this study is to evaluate police officers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of prevention and support measures aimed at addressing professional victimisation and to examine patterns of reporting, utilisation and perceived usefulness of available support. A cross-sectional quantitative research design was applied using an anonymous online survey of Lithuanian police officers (n = 137). Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U) to compare evaluations of effectiveness between officers with and without victimisation experience, supplemented by qualitative content analysis of an open-ended question on additional prevention measures (n = 40). The findings indicate that professional victimisation is salient in officers’ occupational environment through both direct and indirect exposure, while victimisation experience is not significantly associated with key socio-demographic or occupational characteristics. Officers’ evaluations of formally established measures were moderate overall: none achieved high perceived effectiveness, and ratings did not differ significantly between those who had and had not experienced victimisation, suggesting a shared system-level assessment. Psychological support was evaluated most positively, whereas trust- and confidentiality-dependent mechanisms (e.g., confidential reporting pathways, peer/internal support arrangements and rehabilitation-related measures) received lower evaluations. Practice-related indicators revealed substantial underreporting and limited utilisation of support measures among victimised officers, and the perceived usefulness of received support was frequently difficult to assess. Qualitative proposals emphasised strengthening accountability for external aggression, ensuring genuinely anonymous internal reporting, reinforcing leadership accountability and organisational climate, and expanding continuous training. Overall, the results suggest that the principal challenge concerns the credibility, accessibility and consistent implementation of prevention and support mechanisms rather than their formal existence.

This study investigates the psychological and sociocultural predictors of adolescents’ trust in the police within the Lithuanian context. Despite high public trust in law enforcement among adults, little is known about how institutional trust is formed during adolescence, a critical developmental stage. Drawing on legal analysis and psychological theory, this research examines how social trust (from parents, peers, and teachers), media influence, and information credibility affect adolescents’ attitudes toward the police, with particular attention to the mediating role of perceived police effectiveness. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional design with a sample of 204 adolescents aged 15–17 from a public secondary school in Vilnius. Psychometric scales were applied, and data were analysed using factor analysis, multiple regression, and mediation modelling. The findings reveal that perceived police effectiveness is the strongest direct predictor of trust in the police. Social trust and exposure to positive narratives also predict trust indirectly through perceived effectiveness. In contrast, media influence and information credibility did not directly influence trust when perceived effectiveness was considered. Gender differences were identified, withgirls reporting higher trust levels than boys. These results support the procedural justice framework and underscore the need for developmentally sensitive, performance-based strategies to enhance youth trust in law enforcement. The study offers both empirical insights and practical implications for legal reform, school–police partnerships, and community trust-building initiatives.

Effective communication is a core competence in sustainable policing, yet training programs often fail to prepare officers for the emotional and relational complexity of real-world encounters. This study explored how police officers from Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Romania (n = 109) evaluate their communication training and identify the interactions they find most difficult. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the research integrated quantitative assessments of training coverage with qualitative analysis of officers’ narratives. Findings reveal consistent gaps in emotional regulation, empathy, negotiation, and de-escalation skills, especially in encounters with intoxicated or mentally distressed individuals, and in internal communication within hierarchical structures. Viewed through the lens of organizational sustainability, communication competence emerges as a key form of human capital that enhances officer well-being, reduces operational risks, and strengthens public trust. The study highlights the need to embed experiential, scenario-based learning into police curricula to align training with the emotional realities of field practice.

Delinquent behaviour represents a pervasive social issue worldwide, notably in Lithuania, where juvenile delinquency persists at elevated levels in comparison to other EU countries. Despite concerted efforts to mitigate its prevalence, juvenile delinquency remains a considerable threat to public safety and social order. Consequently, the prevention of delinquent behaviour assumes paramount significance, necessitating a focused exploration of collaborative initiatives between teachers and officers. The objective of this study is to discern the intricacies of cooperation between teachers and officers in the implementation of delinquent behaviour prevention during adolescence. To attain this objective, the following tasks were delineated: 1) Analyse disparities in the roles of teachers and officers in the implementation of delinquent behaviour prevention. 2) Theoretically conceptualize the collaborative model for teachers and officers in delinquent behaviour prevention. 3) Investigate the nuanced aspects of cooperation between teachers and officers in the execution of delinquent behaviour prevention. 4) Identify the strengths and weaknesses inherent in the collaboration between teachers and officers for delinquent behaviour prevention. Methodologically, the study employs theoretical literature analysis, examination of legal acts, and statistical data analysis derived from empirical research. The study's findings revealed that despite a shared desire and positive attitudes toward cooperation between teachers and officers, the current level of collaboration is deemed inadequate and inefficacious. Notably, only 14.5% of teachers reported actual collaborative experiences with officers, despite a high prevalence of delinquent behaviour incidents, encountered by 63.1% of teachers in the last semester. Additionally, the study identified deficiencies in legal regulations, notably in the Description of the Organization of Preventive Activities, which lacks specific forms and methods for collaboration with teachers. The study recommends amendments to existing legal frameworks to establish a clear and mandatory system for cooperation.

Pagal Lietuvos Respublikos muitinės ikiteisminiuose tyrimuose sulaikytų prekių vertę eurais per pastaruosius trejus metus matomas ryškus tabako gaminių kontrabandos didėjimas, kurių vertė 2018 m. sudarė 19 mln. eurų, 2019 m. – 27 mln. eurų, 2020 m. – 59 mln. eurų. Vertinant kontrabandos mąstą pagal surinktų cigarečių pakelių pobūdį nustatyta, kad iš visų 2019–2020 m. surinktų tabako gaminių pakelių 27,3 proc. buvo neapskaityti. Auganti kontrabandos apimtis daro didelę žalą Lietuvos ekonomikai, gyventojų sveikatai, didėja visuomenės pakantumas šiai nusikalstamai veiklai. Užkardant ir tiriant tokio pobūdžio nusikaltimus svarbu analizuoti kontrabandininkų asmenybės ypatumus, išskirti svarbiausias kriminalines charakteristikas bei identifikuoti skirtingus cigarečių kontrabandininkų profilius. Šiuo tikslu buvo išanalizuota 60 bylų, 2015 – 2022 metais nagrinėtų Kauno apygardos teisme ir išskirta 99 asmenys, pripažinti kaltais dėl cigarečių kontrabandos. Remiantis teorine analize išskirtos 9 socialinės ir demografinės charakteristikos ir 14 kriminalinių charakteristikų. Naudojant dviejų žingsnių hierarchinę analizę išskirti bei išanalizuoti trys teoriškai bei empiriškai skirtingi cigarečių kontrabandininkų profiliai.