Department of Criminology

Heads of project: Jean-Louis van Gelder, Willem Frankenhuis
Why are some people more likely to commit crime than others? Answers to this question, which is at the heart of criminology, can be grouped into two broad views. On the one hand, dispositional perspec­tives argue that stable factors within the individual, such as lack of self-control, lie… more

Head of project: Jean-Louis van Gelder
The 360º Virtual Scenario Method research program aims to remedy some of the defects of the traditional written scenario (or “vignette”) method by employing immersive 360º video. This immersive method is based on the as­sump­tion that the commonly used written scenarios lack contextual detail and are unlikely… more

Head of project: Jean-Louis van Gelder
The Virtual Burglary Project is a research program co-headed by Prof. Claire Nee (University of Portsmouth) and involves a collaboration with researchers from Leiden University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The Virtual Burglary Project uses a VR approach to better understand the behavior of residential… more

Heads of project: Jean-Louis van Gelder, Esther Mertens
FutureU is a novel and scalable behavioral intervention to increase future-orientation in offenders by connecting them to their future self. The research program, which was started with the (Dutch) Probation Service as a partner and stakeholder, is premised on the well-established notion that… more

Head of project: Jean-Louis van Gelder
FutureU for Mental Health involves adaptations of the FutureU VR intervention paradigm for use with people experiencing symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation (SI). In these adaptations, research participants meet and embody realistic virtual avatars of either their future or their former (i.e., child)… more

Heads of project: Jean-Louis van Gelder, Yikang Zhang
Relationships with friends and peers play a pivotal role in shaping our behavior and decisions, whether positive or negative. Research consistently shows that these social bonds exert a powerful influence on individual choices, especially during adolescence and early adulthood. Peers provide… more

Heads of project: Jean-Louis van Gelder, Shadi Derakhshan
The central predicament of the criminologist lies in the object of study: crime takes place outside our field of view. As a consequence, criminologists have historically prioritized studying the properties of individuals and the social factors that propel them into and out of crime (e.g… more

Head of project: Gunda Wössner
In the vast majority of sex offenses, offender and victim know each other. However, violent sexual assaults perpe­trated by strangers often incite strong feelings of fear in the community. Furthermore, rapes by strangers often pose considerable challenges and concern for law enforcement agencies. They are often faced… more