Varstvoslovni vidiki varnostnega samoorganiziranja prebivalcev

Abstract

The main purpose of the paper is to define and distinguish the concepts of community, citizen self-protection, and vigilantism. Involving the residents or community in the provision of safety is one of the fundamentals of democracy; however, it can cross a limit when instead of self-protection, we shift to the vigilantism. Even though vigilantism presents a problem for both civil society and the state, it seems that it too often slips past the theoretical and empirical studies. The reasons for this can be found in conceptual confusion and various views on vigilantism, as well as in the usual short-term activities of vigilantes – challenging to monitor and analyse as such.