Dominik Gerstner

Dominik Gerstner is a sociologist and Researcher affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, specifically within the Department of Criminology. His research focuses on spatial crime analysis, juvenile delinquency, quantitative methods in social sciences, criminological theory, and social network analysis. He leads collaborative projects such as the Virtual Burglary Project, which employs virtual reality (VR) to study criminal decision-making and neighborhood security dynamics. His doctoral work explored juvenile delinquency through the lens of friendship networks, while current research evaluates predictive policing technologies in Baden-Württemberg.

Key contributions include interdisciplinary collaborations with institutions like Leiden University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He has presented findings in podcasts and videos, discussing the technical and ethical dimensions of VR applications in criminology. Gerstner’s work bridges empirical social research with technological innovation to advance crime prevention strategies.