We are eager to announce that Randy Haers will be defending his doctoral thesis in Criminological Sciences titled: ‘Van SAMEN werken naar impactvol werken: een actieonderzoek naar een evidence-based ketenaanpak van criminaliteit.'
One of the key innovations in the Belgian field of crime control is the rise of multidisciplinary partnerships to tackle crime. This doctoral research examines how such partnerships can be sustainably embedded in practice. With funding from the Agency for Justice and Enforcement, we contributed to the SAMEN project in Mechelen. Through action research, we developed a multidisciplinary process model aimed at reducing recidivism among offenders of urban crime.
Action research requires close collaboration between researchers and practitioners, jointly identifying and addressing problems. The development of a multidisciplinary process model was based on a cyclical, iterative process with four main stages:
- Vision building: from divergent expectations to a shared goal (preventing recidivism among offenders).
- Selection mechanism: from subjective criteria to a triage model based on scientifically validated risk factors.
- Methodological consolidation: from a preliminary impractical model to a feasible process model embedded in practice.
- Risk management: from one-off assessments to a continuous risk management process using a risk formulation method.
The result is a scientifically grounded, tailor-made approach that enables rapid intervention based on offenders’ risk profiles. A distinction is made between two groups: young offenders (16–18) and young adults (18–30), with priority given to high-risk offenders.
Beyond developing a concrete procedure, we also studied the change process itself. We found that an effective multidisciplinary process model requires both a shared vision and a theoretically grounded theory of change. Equally crucial is the partnership between science and practice as the driving force of transformation. In action research, the researcher acts as an embedded criminologist, a role that enables the development of viable solutions through continuous dialogue in and with the field.
Knowledge and learning are therefore fundamental to building a sustainable process model. Scientific knowledge is not simply transferred but made relevant in a continuous process of problem-solving. Participating in a partnership, in this sense, is transformative: participants learn a common language and develop a shared vision of the issue at hand. Resistance within a partnership essentially reflects the fact that this language has not yet been internalized, or that it does not (yet) align with existing frames of meaning or professional identity, rather than a rejection of the change (cooperation) itself.
Following the defense, a reception will be held to celebrate Randy's achievement. Register here for the reception.
Location: I.2.01. (VUB Humanities, Science & Engineering Campus)