Research projects
Good friends, bad situations?
Researchers involved: Evelien Hoeben, prof. dr. Beate Volker, dr. Frank Weerman, dr. Roel Hermans
This project is aimed at disentangling processes through which peers influence adolescent deviance. Despite the evidence that peer influence is a major factor in explaining adolescent deviance, it remains unclear how peers influence each others' behavior. Why do adolescents commit more deviant acts when peers are around? What do peers do or say to encourage deviance? Does it matter who exerts influence? This project applies secondary and newly collected data to study social interactions and behaviors as they unfold within groups of adolescents.
Researchers involved: Evelien Hoeben, prof. dr. Beate Volker, dr. Frank Weerman, dr. Roel Hermans
This project is aimed at disentangling processes through which peers influence adolescent deviance. Despite the evidence that peer influence is a major factor in explaining adolescent deviance, it remains unclear how peers influence each others' behavior. Why do adolescents commit more deviant acts when peers are around? What do peers do or say to encourage deviance? Does it matter who exerts influence? This project applies secondary and newly collected data to study social interactions and behaviors as they unfold within groups of adolescents.
PhD project 'Unstructured socializing and adolescent delinquency'
Promotors: prof. dr. Gerben Bruinsma, prof. dr. Lieven Pauwels; co-promotor: dr. Frank Weerman
August 2011- September 2015 (defended March 9, 2016, cum laude)
This study concerns the associations between time use, peer influence, spatial behavior, and delinquency among adolescents. Examples of research questions are: ‘Why is unstructured socializing related to delinquency?’, 'Is hanging out with the wrong crowd indeed related to increased delinquency and substance use?', ‘Does unstructured socializing on the street leads to a higher risk on involvement in delinquency than unstructured socializing in the city centre?’, and ‘Do youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods spend more time hanging out on the streets than youth from ‘better’ neighborhoods?’ The study combines ideas from the unstructured socializing perspective, theories on (situational) peer influence, social disorganization theory and broken windows theory. Data from the SPAN project are used as well as data on social disorder (e.g. beggars, people under influence of alcohol) and physical disorder (e.g. empty cans or abandoned bicycles) that were collected in the project 'Systematic Social Observation in two Dutch cities'.
Promotors: prof. dr. Gerben Bruinsma, prof. dr. Lieven Pauwels; co-promotor: dr. Frank Weerman
August 2011- September 2015 (defended March 9, 2016, cum laude)
This study concerns the associations between time use, peer influence, spatial behavior, and delinquency among adolescents. Examples of research questions are: ‘Why is unstructured socializing related to delinquency?’, 'Is hanging out with the wrong crowd indeed related to increased delinquency and substance use?', ‘Does unstructured socializing on the street leads to a higher risk on involvement in delinquency than unstructured socializing in the city centre?’, and ‘Do youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods spend more time hanging out on the streets than youth from ‘better’ neighborhoods?’ The study combines ideas from the unstructured socializing perspective, theories on (situational) peer influence, social disorganization theory and broken windows theory. Data from the SPAN project are used as well as data on social disorder (e.g. beggars, people under influence of alcohol) and physical disorder (e.g. empty cans or abandoned bicycles) that were collected in the project 'Systematic Social Observation in two Dutch cities'.
Study of Peers, Activities and Neighborhoods (SPAN)
Researchers involved: dr. Frank Weerman, prof. dr. Gerben Bruinsma, prof. dr. Lieven Pauwels, prof. dr. Wim Bernasco, Heleen Janssen (PhD student), Evelien Hoeben (PhD student)
In the SPAN project is studied how spatial behavior patterns, characteristics of individuals, their families, peers and neighborhoods interact in explaining delinquent behavior among adolescents. The project collected data on neighborhood characteristics among residents of The Hague and used a space-time-budget method to gain information among 12-13 and 15-16 year old adolescents on their activities and whereabouts. The SPAN project closely collaborates with the universities of Cambridge (prof. Wikström) en Malmö (prof. Marie Torstensen Levander), where similar research projects are undertaken. I started working for the SPAN project in 2010, as coordinator of the second data collection. Together with one other coordinator and 15 interviewers, we tracked down and interviewed 615 of the initial 843 participants in the study, approximately two years after the first data collection. After finishing the data collection, I continued working on the SPAN project as a PhD student.
For more information about the SPAN project, see www.spanproject.nl.
Researchers involved: dr. Frank Weerman, prof. dr. Gerben Bruinsma, prof. dr. Lieven Pauwels, prof. dr. Wim Bernasco, Heleen Janssen (PhD student), Evelien Hoeben (PhD student)
In the SPAN project is studied how spatial behavior patterns, characteristics of individuals, their families, peers and neighborhoods interact in explaining delinquent behavior among adolescents. The project collected data on neighborhood characteristics among residents of The Hague and used a space-time-budget method to gain information among 12-13 and 15-16 year old adolescents on their activities and whereabouts. The SPAN project closely collaborates with the universities of Cambridge (prof. Wikström) en Malmö (prof. Marie Torstensen Levander), where similar research projects are undertaken. I started working for the SPAN project in 2010, as coordinator of the second data collection. Together with one other coordinator and 15 interviewers, we tracked down and interviewed 615 of the initial 843 participants in the study, approximately two years after the first data collection. After finishing the data collection, I continued working on the SPAN project as a PhD student.
For more information about the SPAN project, see www.spanproject.nl.
Systematic Social Observation in two Dutch cities 2011/2012
Researchers involved: Evelien Hoeben (PhD student) Heleen Janssen (PhD student), dr. Wouter Steenbeek, prof. dr. Arjan Blokland, dr. Gabry Vanderveen, prof. dr. Joanne van der Leun, mr. dr. Maartje van der Woude
This project is a collaboration between Leiden Law School (University of Leiden) and two NSCR projects: TransAm and SPAN. In both Amsterdam and The Hague (the Netherlands), we conducted Systematic Social Observations of 61 items concerning land use, physical disorder, social disorder, physical condition of buildings, evidence of defensible space, traffic, formal and informal control and guardianship. I was involved with this project from the beginning (the development of the measurement instruments) and I had a main role in the coordination of the data collection in both cities. You can find more information on the project as well as the codebook for the The Hague data here: Hoeben, E.M. and Janssen, H. J. (2013). Systematic Social Observation in The Hague 2011/2013.
Researchers involved: Evelien Hoeben (PhD student) Heleen Janssen (PhD student), dr. Wouter Steenbeek, prof. dr. Arjan Blokland, dr. Gabry Vanderveen, prof. dr. Joanne van der Leun, mr. dr. Maartje van der Woude
This project is a collaboration between Leiden Law School (University of Leiden) and two NSCR projects: TransAm and SPAN. In both Amsterdam and The Hague (the Netherlands), we conducted Systematic Social Observations of 61 items concerning land use, physical disorder, social disorder, physical condition of buildings, evidence of defensible space, traffic, formal and informal control and guardianship. I was involved with this project from the beginning (the development of the measurement instruments) and I had a main role in the coordination of the data collection in both cities. You can find more information on the project as well as the codebook for the The Hague data here: Hoeben, E.M. and Janssen, H. J. (2013). Systematic Social Observation in The Hague 2011/2013.