We invite authors to submit applications to the collective monograph “Criminology of War: Understanding Crime and Criminal Justice during Russia's War against Ukraine”.
Language: English; indexing: Scopus/WoS; publisher: Routledge (tentatively); deadline for abstracts (300-500 words): April 25, 2025; if accepted, full chapters (5000-7000 words) should be submitted by September 1, 2025; expected publication date: summer 2026.

The proposed structure:

1. Fundamentals of war criminology
- Theoretical and conceptual framework of war criminology
- Methodologies for studying crime and justice in conflict zones

2. Crime in time of war

- Border crimes and illicit markets (e.g., arms, drugs, human trafficking, migrant smuggling)
- Corruption, extortion and bribery
- Petty crime and survival economies; looting
- Violent crimes
- Crimes related to mobilization
- Cybercrime
- Information crimes (propaganda, disinformation, etc.)

3. Impact of war on vulnerable groups, environment and cultural heritage
- Gender and sexual violence as a weapon of war
- Crimes against children, including recruitment as soldiers and exploitation of displaced children
- Destruction of the environment
- Destruction and attacks on cultural heritage sites

4. Criminal justice institutions in conflict settings
- Policing in times of war: challenges, strategies and adaptations (patrolling/prevention, investigation, forensic services; interaction with citizens)
- Prosecution of war crimes
- Work of courts during the war
- Prisons and deprivation of liberty in wartime (governance, security and human rights issues)
- Crimes committed by military personnel (unauthorized desertion, desertion, etc.)

- Emergency response services and critical infrastructure (dealing with military/non-military incidents)

 

5. Extended implications of the criminology of war
- Comparative studies: lessons from other conflicts (e.g., Balkans, Syria, Iraq)
- The role of civil society and NGOs in documenting and combating crimes and supporting victims

Additional information
- Interdisciplinary focus: Contributions from criminology, law, sociology, political science, international relations, and related fields are encouraged.
- Empirical and theoretical approaches: Both data-driven and conceptual papers are welcome.
- Global perspectives: While the main focus is the Russia-Ukraine war, comparative findings from other conflicts are highly valued.
- Peer review: All submissions will be peer-reviewed by the editors to ensure academic quality and relevance.

How to submit

Please send an abstract of 300-500 words outlining the main arguments, methodology, and relevance of your proposed chapter and a short biography (150 words) to [email protected] with the subject line “War Criminology Contribution - [Your Name]”.

For additional questions or clarifications, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Clarifications in English - Yulia ZABIELINA (University of Alabama) at [email protected].

Clarifications in Ukrainian - Oleksii SERDIUK (Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs) +380503271771, [email protected] 

Download the detailed proposal in Ukrainian: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_vFMpkWA2LfT9n5PK7G2zWio5huefkEN/view?usp=sharing

Download the detailed proposal in English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17hD9tmHKQqS6uT0KvJjY0XyQ2tm6i6mp/view?usp=sharing