There are concerns about youth crime in the Netherlands. The headlines are regularly filled with shocking stories about juvenile delinquents, but what does the picture look like when the development of youth crime is scientifically researched? What are the causes, how can we prevent and tackle delinquent behaviour among young people, and what is the role of group mechanisms and social media? These questions are central to the research conducted by Frank Weerman within the endowed chair of Youth Criminology, on which he has been reappointed as of 1 March 2026. The chair, within the department of Law, Society & Crime, which Weerman has held since 2016, provides the opportunity to connect (inter)national multidisciplinary research into youth crime with the research and education of Erasmus School of Law.
Complex issues such as youth crime cannot be attributed to a single cause and develop rapidly in a society in which social and technological developments follow each other in quick succession. During the term of the chair Weerman has focused on research into the development of youth crime, the effectiveness of possible interventions, involvement with weapons among young people, and risk factors such as peer influence, group dynamics and the role of social media and the online reality in which young people increasingly find themselves.
Better armed with science
Weermans research has led to various publications like research into offline and online peer influence on delinquent behaviour and the relation between cyber delinquency and the ratio of online and offline time in adolescents. Weerman highlights the research Better Armed with Science conducted on behalf of NSCR: “The study into the causes and interventions in the context of gun ownership among young people has had a major social impact. The results of the study received a lot of media attention and, in collaboration with policymakers and professionals, also resulted in the setting up of two intervention pilots.”
Weerman recently received an NWO grant for research into the effects of social media on delinquent behaviour among young people. In addition, he has been active as a senior researcher at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement since 2004 and, in his role as professor of Youth Criminology, he has built strong bridges between science and practice, including through his role in the scientific advisory committee of Halt Nederland and the Youth Crime Monitor of the WODC.
Weerman reacts to his reappointment: “I am grateful for the trust and appreciation I have received with this reappointment from the Department of Law, Society & Crime and the board of Erasmus School of Law. This chair, my passionate and knowledgeable colleagues, and the metropolitan context of Rotterdam offer me opportunity and inspiration to continue my research and teaching in the field of youth criminology.”
Major developments and new perspectives
As Endowed Professor of Youth Criminology, Weerman will continue to focus on (inter)national multidisciplinary research into the causes of and interventions against youth crime, and on developing an integrated approach based on collaboration between academia and practice. Weerman's approach and emphasis on positive social impact fits seamlessly with the vision of Erasmus School of Law and Erasmus University's Strategy 2030.
The Board of Erasmus School of Law congratulates Weerman on his reappointment and wishes him all the best with his activities.
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This chair is made possible in part by the Netherlands Institute for Study of Crime and Law Enforcement.
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