In the opening section the author refers to the classical book of Dutch criminologist Willem Bonger on the links between poverty/social injustice and levels of crime. He then introduces his own work on the International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS) since 1989. The ICVS trend data on crime in Western countries during 1989 up to 2010 show a curvilinear movement peaking around 2000. The upward trend seems to track economic growth and to have mainly been caused by increased opportunities of crime. His analytical results concerning car theft and household burglary suggest that the international falls in crime since 2000 are largely caused by improved security. A comparative analysis shows for example that burglary rates have fallen in countries with high levels of home security such as Great Britain and the Netherlands and have continued to rise in low security countries such as Denmark and Switzerland. The author concludes that criminology has evolved both methodologically and theoretically since the publication of Bonger’s book in 1905. Some fundamental principles of the discipline, however, appear to have remained unchanged. Van Dijk’s own work is, just like that of Bonger, policy- oriented. It is driven by the motivation to assist governments in finding better ways to reduce suffering of human beings from crime, either as victims or as offenders.

During childhood, a child is entitled to receive special care and assistance. The child’s best interest should be a primary objective. The Dutch government has an obligation to guarantee the children rights. But do the closed youth care accommodations meet the requirements as stated in the International Child Rights Convention, as far as deprivation of liberty and treatment under coercion are concerned? The study concluded that some closed youth care institutions do not meet the requirements as stated in the above mentioned Convention. There is often no possibility of free expression, physical complaints may not be taken seriously, an adequate standard of living is not always provided and the level of education is often too low. Most of the minors indicate that they are bored during their stay in the accommodations. On this basis, limiting the fundamental rights of these youngsters is currently surrounded with inadequate guarantees.

The role of professionals in evidence-based crime prevention is a topic of discussion. The dominant view in the criminal justice field is that professionals are to support and faithfully execute evidence-based treatment programs based on risk factors for future crime. In other disciplines we find alternative approaches to evidence-based practice (EBP) in which the professionals, and more specifically features of the working alliance between professional and client, are considered to be the treatment program. In general, these approaches focus on treatment motivation and behavioural change. ‘Common factors’ like faith in outcome, trust between professional and client, et cetera, are considered as specific treatment factors. Empirical evidence shows that this may be a more fruitful approach towards effective interventions. The article looks into the scientific background of both perspectives and explains the key differences. It is concluded that EBP in criminal justice can gain from a (research) perspective in which professionals play a more central role.

The ideologies of community policing are central to the work of the Dutch police. The aim is to combine a focus on relations with the community with law enforcement, including the use of physical force. The balance has shifted, however, in favour of social relations. This article reports on the findings of a recent study among executive police officers. It is shown that the physical demands of police work are neglected in the selection and education of policemen and -women. Furthermore, there is a need for improving the training of standard procedures and interventions with respect to the use of physical force. In addition, it is found that a majority of the respondents feel that the use of force – in a correct way and in appropriate situations – is underappreciated by those in higher positions, while at the same time the issue of avoidance behaviour is not addressed.

In this contribution, the author explores some of the issues that are currently dominant in the debate revolving illegal downloading (also known as digital piracy). Four specific issues are addressed. Firstly, the legal status of downloading is discussed, followed by a brief analysis of a debate currently being held within the Dutch parliament dealing with this issue. Of particular interest is the proposed ‘download-ban’ which is intended to decrease digital piracy and increase legitimate sales. However, as will be demonstrated, this proposed ban is not without criticisms. Following this analysis, the question is raised what is actually empirically known about the impact of illegal downloading on the involved industries, and whether proposed measures such as a ‘download-ban’ can have the desired impact. Finally, the role of copyrights in the digital environment is explored.