IVAN AT THE GATES! – ARMED CONFLICT IN UKRAINE AND THE MORAL PANIC IN POLAND?

The authors describe the issue of moral panic in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine and the way it is reflected in the behavior, opinions, fears, approaches and beliefs of the respondents. The notion is described through the perspective of the moral panic features, enumerated by Erich Goode and Nachman Ben-Yehuda, such as concerns, disproportionality and volatility. Such approach allows to analyze the cumulated data on people's reaction in the face of the potential threat they perceive as highly probable. The authors ask what implications moral panic brings for the safety of the country neighboring the area of the conflict.