Institute of Criminology

Sytske Besemer - Biography

Contact Details

Sytske Besemer
Email:
sb637@cam.ac.uk

Before coming to Cambridge Sytske studied psychology and criminology at Leiden University and at the VU University Amsterdam. She currently investigates mechanisms explaining the intergenerational transmission of aggressive and criminal behaviour. Why do children of aggressive/criminal parents have a higher risk of becoming aggressive/criminal themselves? She aims to contrast several explanations for this intergenerational continuity such as social learning, official bias against certain families, and the transmission of risk factors. This is investigated in England as well as in the Netherlands. Researching intergenerational transmission contributes to knowledge about the development of aggression and criminal behaviour, which can help to design interventions against aggression.

Sytske is being supervised by Professor David Farrington.

  • MSc Criminology, VU University, Amsterdam, 2008
    (cum laude - with honours)
  • BA Criminology, Leiden University, The Netherlands, 2006
    (cum laude - with honours)
  • BA & MSc Developmental Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands, 2006
    (cum laude - with honours)

Manuscripts Under Review

  • Besemer, S. (under review). The impact of timing and frequency of parental criminal behaviour and risk factors on offspring offending.

Peer-Reviewed Journals

  • Besemer, S. and Farrington, D.P. (accepted). Intergenerational transmission of criminal behaviour: conviction trajectories of fathers and their children.
  • Besemer, S. (in press). Specialized versus versatile intergenerational transmission of violence. A new approach to studying intergenerational transmission from violent versus non-violent fathers: Latent Class Analysis. Journal of Quantitative Criminology.
  • Besemer S., Geest V., Murray J., Bijleveld C.C.J.H., Farrington D.P. (2011), "The relationship between parental imprisonment and offspring offending in England and the Netherlands" British Journal of Criminology, 51, 413-437
  • Averdijk, M.D.E., Besemer, S., Eisner, M.P., Ribeaud, D., & Bijleveld, C.C.J.H. (accepted). The relationship between quantity, type and timing of external childcare and child problem behaviour in Switzerland. European Journal of Developmental Psychology.
  • Eisner, M., Murray, J., Ribeaud, D., Topcuoglu, T., Kazemian, L., & Besemer, S. (2009). The event history calendar as an instrument for longitudinal criminological research. Monatsschrift für Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform (Special issue: International Longitudinal Research in Criminology), 92 (2/3), 137-159.

Other Publications


For a complete CV, please email Sytske.