Chantal van den Berg

Chantal van den Berg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Law and Criminology at the Faculty of Law, VU University Amsterdam, and a researcher and program leader at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR). Her work bridges empirical research and normative studies in criminology, with a strong focus on victimology and the social consequences of criminal behavior.

• VU University Amsterdam – Assistant Professor, Criminology (2017–present)
• NSCR – Researcher and Program Leader, Victimology (2022–present)
• Leiden University – Assistant Professor, Criminology (2014–2015)

She earned her BSc and MSc in Criminology from VU University Amsterdam and completed her PhD there in 2015, studying the long-term criminal careers of juvenile sex offenders and their life transitions.

Her research centers on sexual offending (particularly by juveniles), sexual victimization, labor market discrimination against ex-offenders, risk assessment, and the collateral consequences of criminal conviction, especially regarding the Certificate of Conduct (VOG). She employs advanced statistical methods and field experiments to investigate how criminal records and personal characteristics affect employment outcomes and social integration.

Her recent publications (2023–2025) reveal a strong trend toward studying digital disclosures of sexual victimization (e.g., during the #MeToo movement), employment barriers for cybercrime offenders, and evidence-based rehabilitation in criminal record screening. These works highlight her interdisciplinary approach, combining criminology, sociology, and data science.

She co-supervises two PhD candidates: Marleen Gorissen, researching online disclosure of sexual victimization, and Nora van Buitenen, analyzing comorbidity in mentally ill prisoners using network methods. She also contributes to major research projects such as Evidence-based interventions for victims.

• Member, Examination Board, Faculty of Law, VU University Amsterdam
• Former Chair, Programme Committee (OLC) Criminology (2017–2021)
• Co-editor, What works. Effectieve ondersteuning voor slachtoffers (2023)

Chantal teaches Victimology at the BSc level and advanced courses in multivariate analysis and research methods for both BSc and MSc Criminology students. Her academic service includes editorial and peer-review roles, as well as frequent academic presentations on juvenile sex offending and rehabilitation.

She is actively involved in research collaboration through NSCR and VU, with a growing network in victimology, labor market reintegration, and digital justice. Her work continues to influence both academic discourse and policy development in criminal justice and victim support.