Doing criminology in a war zone: ethical and methodological challenges in Ukraine

• In Event: Roundtable: Criminology in War

Abstract

Methodological approaches to criminological research in contexts of armed conflict demand careful adaptation to the realities of violence, instability, and heightened vulnerability. This presentation focuses on the ongoing war in Ukraine to explore how researchers have modified conventional methods to address the unique practical and ethical challenges of studying crime, victimisation, and social harm in war-affected environments. Drawing on the experience of conducting the SafeOnline project in Ukraine, which investigates the online vulnerabilities of Ukrainian schoolchildren during the war, the presentation highlights the importance of methodological reflexivity, contextual sensitivity, and ethical rigour when carrying out research under conditions of conflict and insecurity.

Authors

• Anna Markovska, Anglia Ruskin University, UK

• Oleksii Serdyuk, Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, Ukraine

• Sam Lundrigan, International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI), Anglia Ruskin University, UK