NBP. Nauka, bezbednosti, policija

Artificial Intelligence in Criminal Justice: Predictive Tools, Evidentiary Challenges, and Human Rights Implications

Olga Koshevaliska — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into criminal justice systems introduces both transformative opportunities and profound legal dilemmas. This paper critically examines the use of AI in crime prediction, risk assessment, evidence analysis, and sentencing, with particular attention to its impact on fundamental procedural rights. Focusing on predictive policing algorithms, facial recognition systems, and AI-assisted evidence review, the research explores how these tools reshape police, prosecutorial, and judicial discretion. Key challenges include transparency, explainability, and risks of systemic bias or “automated justice,” contrasted with constitutional guarantees such as the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, and the principle of legality. The study concludes that while AI can enhance efficiency and accuracy, its uncritical adoption may jeopardize essential human rights protections unless accompanied by robust procedural safeguards. Artificial intelligence should serve as an instrument of human progress, not as a substitute for human judgment.

Liking Harm, Feeling Fine: Crowd-Cruelty Comfort and the Normalization of Digital Aggression

Dijana Sulejmanović, Irma Kadić — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

This article explores the psychological processes and behavioral practices that result from an individual's involvement in online aggression, with a particular focus on social reinforcement processes in virtual communities. Theoretical frameworks well-grounded in the psychological literature, such as deindividuation, moral distancing, and digital disinhibition, will help identify general characteristics of online aggressors and specific behaviors such as endorsing the group through likes, shares, and supportive comments.

In an effort to capture the complexity of the online space, an innovative and explanatory concept called Crowd-Cruelty Comfort (CCC) is presented - as a new theoretical framework that describes how individuals have reduced moral discomfort and increased psychological comfort when engaging in harmful or supportive behaviors in the digital space. This concept explains the growing normalization of online aggression through well-studied concepts and mechanisms such as moral mitigation, diffusion of responsibility and suppression of empathy, which were previously identified and explained in the literature, but are now observed in a new context, with new meanings and new consequences that they leave in virtual reality.

CCC describes how individuals psychologically process that the harmful or destructive behaviors they engage in are in fact morally justified—and therefore can believe they are not to blame for the behavior and can maintain a positive self-image. The implications of this concept are discussed with respect to digital ethics education, prevention strategies, and intervention programs aimed at mitigating the spread of online harm.

Differences in Family Risk Factors of Drug Usage in Adolescent Girls and Boys

Ivana D. Radovanovic, Marija Maljković — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Adolescence is a critical age for the onset of drug use, linked with many risk factors, among which are family factors. This study aimed to investigate 30 family risk factors of drug usage and subsequent gender differences between male and female adolescents. Data was collected from a representative sample of 1287 high school students (M_age = 17.04, SD_age = 1.147) from Belgrade, Serbia, of which 52.5% were girls. Participants filled out an anonymous self-evaluation questionnaire during their school hours, with assistance from a school psychologist. Drug usage was defined through the use of cannabinoids, depressants, stimulants, or hallucinogens at least twice in the past. Family risk factors were reported by participants using a checklist listing 30 experiences identified in the literature as risk factors related to the family context. Canonical discriminant analysis was applied separately on the samples of boys and girls and two statistically significant discriminant functions were obtained. In the sample of boys, this function was defined by 7 family variables, 6 of which were predictors of differences between drug usage and non-usage. In the sample of girls, 13 factors influenced the differences between drug usage and non-usage. The only common risk factors in both boys and girls were frequent quarrels with parents, poor communication with family members, and adolescents’ attempts to run away from home. Discussed are the differences in the number and nature of family risk factors for drug use in boys and girls, as well as practical implications for drug use prevention programs.

The Political Economy of High-Stakes Whistleblowing in South Africa

Ugljesa Radulovic — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Whistleblowing, which is when organizational insiders expose wrongdoing to an authority that can effect action, has been established as a mechanism that possesses the capacity to combat, or event prevent, high-level malfeasance. Much global research has explored the frequency and the nature of retaliation that whistleblowers are subjected to. However, there is a dearth of research regarding the political economy of whistleblowing. This paper, employing documents as sources of data, has sought to explore the global pattern of fallout experienced by whistleblowers, with the experiences of South African whistleblowers being testament to this. Thus, the cases of South African high-stakes whistleblowing are given particular attention. This paper asserts that weak whistleblower protection legislation is a large contributor as to why whistleblowers face frequent and severe reprisals in South Africa. It also determines that there is an absolute power imbalance between those who report wrongdoing and those who perpetuate it. Ultimately, this paper’s unique contribution lies in establishing that the issue of weak legislation is compounded by the neoliberal political economy. With South Africa exemplifying the neoliberal political economy, initiatives aimed at addressing issues of corruption (such as reinforcing whistleblower protection laws) become difficult in a system where criminal and fraudulent capital is rife, and a wide spectrum of corrupt and socially pernicious practices are common. This paper does, however, concede that pro-social practices can exist within such a system, with the actions of whistleblowers being evidence of this. However, revising the whistleblower protection instrument would require cultural and political-economic resistance to neoliberalism.

Effects оf аn Unsupervised Home Exercise Program to Improve Volunteer Firefighter Fitness аnd Occupational Performance: A Pilot Study

Senka Bajić, Robin Orr, Dragoljub Veljović, Filip Kukić — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Volunteer firefighters perform the same job tasks as professional firefighter but may have lower levels of fitness and be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of an 8-week unsupervised home exercise program on the physical fitness and occupational performance of volunteer firefighters. Firefighters (n=15 male) volunteered to participate. Outcome measures included measures of stature, health (blood pressure and percentage body fat (%BF)), fitness (cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, power and endurance, flexibility) movement skills (i.e., Functional Movement Screen (FMS)) and occupational performance (stair climb, hose drag, equipment carry and victim drag). Between data collection points, participants undertook an unsupervised 8-week home exercise training program of 3 sessions per week plus corrective exercises based on FMS scores. Of the five firefighters that completed the program compliance rates were 47% (33-70%). Right hand grip strength and FMS scores im-proved significantly (p<0.05) with a trend towards improved blood pressure (p=0.054), and %BF (p=0.084). Given difficulties in providing a supervised exercise program for volunteer firefighters, an unsupervised home exercise program did lead to some improvements in their health and fit-ness. An unsupervised home exercise program may improve elements of firefighter fitness but participation rates and compliance are major challenges. Provision of an unsupervised home exercise program alone will potentially be of limited value. Future research should investigate means of improving unsupervised exercise program compliance in this population.

Translation Errors in Serbian Legal Regulations and Their Impact on Text Interpretation and Law Application

Vojislav Jovanović — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Law, in addition to government, is the main element of every state, and it is woven from a whole set of legal regulations. Language is the main tool for expressing the legal content of regulations. Proper application of the regulation and understanding of the will of the person who made the regulation primarily implies linguistic interpretation and understanding of the content of the regulation. It is an axiom of every national legal certainty. On the other hand, in modern processes of globalization and regionalization of interstate relations, the issue of mutual harmonization of national legislations is gaining importance. The condition for successful harmonization is the adequate implementation of international and regional legal standards in the internal legal orders of individual countries, and the condition for adequate implementation is the correct and accurate translation of the legal regulations that are being implemented. Namely, adequate implementation and application of a legal regulation, written in a foreign language, first requires a linguistic understanding of that regulation, which is the essence of the normative interpretation of law, and errors that may occur in the process of implementing inevitably lead to misinterpretation, misunderstanding and misapplication of regulations. This further leads to legal uncertainty, legal disputes and irreversible losses of time and resources in resolving these disputes. The aim of this paper is to point out some of the errors in the translation of a legal text in order to make a modest contribution to translation practice in translation from English into Serbian.

Ecoterrorism and Cyberattacks vs. Critical Infrastructure: Counterintelligence and Security Aspects

Dragan Živaljević, Nevena Gavrić — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Critical infrastructure encompasses systems and resources essential to the functioning of the state and its protection consequently stands at the pinnacle of counterintelligence and security priorities. Amid increasingly intensive and complex forms of hybrid threats, the vulnerability of such systems becomes more pronounced—particularly in the domains of cyber-attacks and eco-terrorist acts, as emergent forms of asymmetric threats. Of particular concern is the employment of sophisticated methods of espionage, cyber intrusions and subversive activities, all of which necessitate a strategically oriented and integrated counterintelligence response. In addition to conventional and digital security risks, growing attention must be directed towards the phenomenon of eco-terrorism—that is, the activities of radical environmental groups which, under the guise of environmental protection, carry out attacks targeting infrastructure of vital importance. Cyber threats, including intrusions into operational networks, data destruction and manipulation of control systems, constitute a parallel dimension of security vulnerability, one that challenges the response capacity of traditional protection systems. This paper examines the intersection between eco-terrorism, cyber-attacks and the counterintelligence protection of critical infrastructure, with a particular focus on identifying vulnerabilities, evaluating the effectiveness of existing measures and analysing the role of institutional actors in the prevention, detection and response to such threats. Special attention is paid to the challenges of intersectoral coordination and the pressing need to improve both national and international regulatory and operational frameworks. Drawing upon an analysis of current security strategies and selected case studies, the paper argues that the effective safeguarding of critical infrastructure is achievable solely through a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach—one that integrates counterintelligence capabilities, technological innovation and international cooperation. The findings of the research offer concrete recommendations for the reform and enhancement of legal and institutional mechanisms, with an emphasis on proactive engagement, situational awareness and adaptive crisis response to threats emerging from eco-terrorist and cyber domains. The contribution of this study lies in its critical examination of the security aspects of contemporary threats to critical infrastructure, offering insights relevant both to the academic community and to decision-makers engaged in the formulation of national and international security policy.