From Silenced to Erased Bonds: Law, Semiotics, and the Marginalization of Hunting Families in Poland Under the Pretense of Trauma

Contemporary legal amendments in Poland prohibit minors under 18 from participating in hunting on the grounds of possible traumatic effects. These amendments have generated doubts and controversies, raising the question of whether hunting truly traumatizes children and, if so, to what extent. To address this, a survey was conducted among 654 adults who had participated in hunts as children. For over 90% of respondents, hunting was remembered as an important formative experience, evaluated positively in adulthood. Most had first participated during primary school (61%) or preschool (29%). Only 2% reported traumatic impact, and even within this group opinions were divided equally between supporters and opponents of children’s participation. The proportion of negative evaluations was markedly higher when attendance was determined by parents or chance (9%) compared to when participation stemmed from the child’s own curiosity (0.3%). From a semiotic perspective, however, these findings remain silenced in the public and legal discourse. The law encodes childhood solely as fragility and hunting solely as violence, erasing alternative meanings such as curiosity, bonding, ecological stewardship, and cultural continuity. By excluding children’s and parents’ voices, the regulation marginalizes hunting families and reinforces the invisibility of minority cultural practices within dominant societal narratives.