The Dynamics of Future Law Enforcement Officers’ Awareness of Possible Risks in Social Networks

Abstract

The main purpose of the article is to investigate the dynamics of awareness of students, i.e. future law enforcement officers, who will be expected to provide security for other people on the risks for their own or personal safety in the digital space. The paper presents both theoretical considerations and empiric data from the study (completed in 2016, 2017, 2019) aimed at investigating whether future law enforcement students recognize the main risks of the safety in the digital space. The study is important in the light that so much of contemporary social, personal and professional life is being carried out in the digital space. If future law enforcement officers are unable to recognize safety risks, as a consequence, they will not be professional and ready enough to consult and to provide support for citizens on the issues that in some cases start dominating the functioning of a contemporary person in the contemporary world.