Youth and organized crime

The EPIC research programme: effectively reducing youth’s involvement in serious and organized crime

A consortium of researchers, policymakers and practitioners has set up the project EPIC: Explaining, Preventing, and Intervening in organized Crime involvement, with support from the Dutch National Science Agenda (NWA).

First phase and second phase

In the first phase of EPIC, existing scientific knowledge on risk and protective factors for entering organised crime was mapped out. The availability and effectiveness of (international) interventions aimed at reducing youth’s involvement in serious and organised crime were also examined. This first phase has been completed; the results can be found on the EPIC page.

Thanks to funding from NWO, the second phase of EPIC began in March 2024, consisting of several work packages (WPs). This phase is now fully underway.

Read more about EPIC

Partnerships

Related research themes and groups on youth and organized crime

• Offenders – Risk of offending, when and why
• Crime in context – Influence of environment, technology, and interactions
• Victimisation – Causes, responses, and consequences of victimisation
• Situational causes of offline and online crime – Influence of situations and circumstances
• SCRIPT – Research programme Scripting Criminal Processes: Review and Implementation of Practical Tools (in Dutch)
• Podcast Het Criminologiecollege – Season 1, Episode 6 (in Dutch) – How young people become involved in organised crime, featuring Ida Adamse
• The role of social media in young people’s involvement in serious drug and violent crime – Politie & Wetenschap journal (in Dutch)