Esther de Graaf

Esther de Graaf holds a Master’s degree in Criminology (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2010). Over a two-year period, she gained experience in the field as a mediator in the context of municipal administrative sanctions. In 2018, she completed her PhD, which focused on the perceptions of delinquent boys and professionals in closed youth institutions regarding placement, conflicts, and complaints. After her PhD, she worked for three years as a consultant in Special Youth Care. After this field experience, Esther returned to the university as a post-doctoral researcher at the Strategic Research Programma of CriS. Currenlty she is conduction research funded by Innoviris in collaboration with ULB, focusing on the diversity policy within the Brussels police. This research aims to explore the strengths, limitations, and challenges involved in implementing diversity polices within the police force.

Research expertise: juveniles, children’s rights, diversity policies within the police and youngsters and the police.