Marijke Van Buggenhout

Prof. dr. Marijke Van Buggenhout is a Tenure Track Professor in Criminology at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Crime & Society Research Group, CRiS). Her research is situated at the nexus of youth criminology, migration, and empirical children’s rights, with a strong focus on participatory and co-creative methodologies. She is the author of Paper Borders. Children and Young People inside the Belgian Asylum Procedure (2024), based on her PhD, and co-writer and co-producer of the participatory documentary Papieren Grenzen / Paper Borders in collaboration with young newcomers and a filmmaker. Her tenure track programme Migration, Transformative Voicing & Child Citizenship develops innovative approaches to strengthen the voices and involvement of children and young people, not only in the context of forced migration but also in other domains where children are subjected to social control, systemic violence, and institutionalisation, such as immigration sites, residential youth care or schools. Her work seeks to move beyond tokenistic participation towards transformative research practices that generate both academic and societal impact.

Marijke is currently involved as a co-promoter in the PhD project of Eva Dierickx, which explores the experiences, needs, and strengths of young children and their teachers at the intersection of social relationships and social justice, framed within the Primary Prejudice project. She is also a co-promoter in the FWO-JEZ! project Who am I?, which uses creative storytelling and collaborative action research to examine identity formation and participation in residential youth care. Beyond academia, she is the chair of J@M, a youth welfare organisation in Mechelen that provides accessible, group-based leisure activities for children and young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods, and builds bridges to education, sports, and culture.

Research Line

Youth Justice Studies

Current Research Projects

SBO project with a primary societal finality: Social well-being in Flemish primary schools

JEZZ - Who am I? Empowering self-identity of youth in residential care through creative storytelling and collaborative action research

Courses (2025-2026)

Jeugdcriminologie 

Wetenschappelijke Integriteit en Ethiek in de praktijk van criminologisch onderzoek