J.J. Asscher

University of Amsterdam | UVA

Objective: Far-right violent radicalization has been on the rise in Europe, with youth being more at risk. Previous research on the topic has mostly been variable-centered and conducted in adults. To better tailor prevention efforts based on the needs of different subgroups of youth, a person-centered study was conducted to explore the presence of...

Psychoeducation programs may increase knowledge about stress and help adolescents cope with stress. However, research about the effectiveness of psychoeducation programs about stress for adolescents is limited. The present study aimed to fill this gap by evaluating the effect of a brief school-based universal psychoeducation program about stress, t...

Background Juvenile antisocial behavior can have long-lasting and devastating effects for juveniles themselves, victims, and society. Evidence-based treatment is vital. Forensic Outpatient Systemic Therapy (Forensische Ambulante Systeem Therapie; FAST) is a promising treatment for juveniles showing severe antisocial behavior including aggression, (...

To promote the return of juveniles to a home-like environment (e.g. living with (foster)parents) after secure residential treatment (SRT), it is important to know which factors are related to this outcome. The current study examined which characteristics of the juvenile, family, and SRT, including family centeredness and use of systemic interventio...

Although many studies have shown that personality—as a relatively stable characteristic—is a predictor of parenting behavior, personality changes occur during adulthood. Therefore, we do not know whether previous findings based on personality assessed (long) after the birth of the child indicate that personality as assessed before the child is born...

Recidivism rates of juvenile delinquents remain high despite numerous intervention efforts. Identifying factors that can predict (long-term) recidivism is therefore an important research issue. Knowledge on why juveniles re-offend is a key to effective interventions as it helps to identify factors most likely to be successful targets in interventio...

Aims: Aggression is one of the most important dynamic risk factors for recidivism in juveniles. The physiological underpinnings of aggression, such as the functioning of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), need further investigation to eventually improve diagnostics and treatment practices. Therefore, the present pilot study examined whether relati...

Objectives. Far-right radicalization has been on the rise in Europe (Europol, 2021), with radicalized individuals becoming younger in age (Emmelkamp et al., 2020). To better understand the risks for radicalization, the current study explored to what extent far-right radicalization profiles could be detected in a sample of Dutch youth (N = 1249, age...

Conspiracy theories threaten Western society’s cohesion and democracy (AIVD, 2023). Yet, little is known about who’s vulnerable to conspiracy-motivated violent radicalization, which is essential for effective prevention. This study explored whether subgroups at risk for conspiracy-motivated violent radicalization could be identified in a Dutch samp...

Background Juvenile antisocial behavior can have long-lasting and devastating effects for juveniles themselves, victims, and society. Evidence-based treatment is vital. Forensic Outpatient Systemic Therapy (Forensische Ambulante Systeem Therapie; FAST) is a promising treatment for juveniles showing severe antisocial behavior including aggression, (...

Various Dutch secure residential youth care (SRYC) institutions are implementing a family-centered approach aiming to increase parental involvement and improve treatment outcomes. However, it remains unclear if and how family-centeredness (FC) is related to increased parental involvement and to improved treatment outcomes of adolescents. In this st...

Targeted school-based programs seem to be a promising approach to help adolescents in need. Nevertheless, successful implementation and evaluation of such programs is challenging. However, there is limited knowledge about (overcoming) the challenges of implementation and experimental evaluation of school-based programs. The goal of the present pape...

The present study aimed to identify overall stress and salient stressors experienced by adolescents from different education tracks and self-perceived ethnic backgrounds. A total of 1489 adolescents ( M = 13.40 years; SD = 0.89 years) from nine Dutch secondary schools participated. Self-reported stressors were measured with the adapted version of t...

Background Antisocial behavior during adolescence can have long-lasting negative effects and leads to high societal costs. Forensic Outpatient Systemic Therapy (Forensische Ambulante Systeem Therapie; FAST) is a promising treatment for juveniles aged 12–21 showing severe antisocial behavior. The intensity, content and duration of FAST can be adjust...

Background: Antisocial behavior during adolescence can have long-lasting negative effects and leads to high societal costs. Forensic Outpatient Systemic Therapy (Forensische Ambulante Systeem Therapie; FAST) is a promising treatment for juveniles aged 12-21 showing severe antisocial behavior. The intensity, content and duration of FAST can be adjus...

Purpose Home visitation program effects are generally small, which may be caused by flexible intervention content leading to inconsistent outcomes. In this study we therefore examined whether the effectiveness of a Dutch home visitation program (i.e., Supportive Parenting) can be improved by adding structured intervention components targeting key r...

Background Given that high levels of stress during adolescence are associated with negative consequences, it is important that adolescents with psychological needs are supported at an early stage, for instance with interventions at school. However, knowledge about the potential of school-based programs targeting adolescents with psychological needs...

Although temper tantrums are considered a normal part of emotional development in toddlerhood, for some they foreshadow more serious behavioral and emotional problems. Parental discipline techniques may play a role in explaining why this behavior worsens for some children whereas for others it fades away. With this three-wave longitudinal study, we...

The effects of home visiting programs to reduce child maltreatment are generally limited and warrant improvement. The present study, therefore, examined whether the effectiveness of a home visitation program in the Netherlands can be improved by adding specific intervention components targeting important risk factors for child maltreatment, namely...

Adolescents might be particularly affected by the drastic social changes as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, given the increased stress-sensitivity and importance of the social environment in this developmental phase. In order to examine heterogeneity during the pandemic, the current study aimed to identify whether subgroups of adolescents c...

Prenatal expectations about what children will be like after birth may provide a context for how parents perceive their infant's actual temperament. We examined how these expectations and perceptions are associated and together predict early parenting behavior, with parenting behavior in turn predicting changes in temperament. Reports of 125 famili...

When youth commit serious violent or sexual offenses, this often generates a call for more severe punishments and longer detention sentences. An important question is whether (long) detention sentences are effective in decreasing recidivism among serious young offenders. To estimate recidivism rates in serious young offenders and elucidate the link...

This study examined to what extent the human–animal bond (HAB) had a positive impact on stress and self-esteem among detained juveniles participating in the prison-based dog training program Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD). Participants were 75 detained juveniles (mean age = 19.5, 86.7% male). Self-reported stress and self-esteem were assessed before the sta...

The effectiveness of Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD), a prison-based dog training program, in reducing criminal behavior and recidivism was assessed in a quasi-experimental study in twelve correctional facilities in the Netherlands (N = 241). DCD is a program in which incarcerated offenders train a shelter dog bi-weekly for eight weeks. Results demonstrated...

Elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits have been repeatedly identified in a subgroup of offenders that displays severe antisocial behavior; establishing physiological markers may help improve early identification and treatment efforts. This study examines to what extent baseline-resting heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) can be used...

Objectives To examine the effectiveness of social skills training (SST) for juvenile offenders and for whom and under which conditions SSTs are the most effective.Methods Multilevel meta-analyses were conducted to examine the effectiveness of juvenile offender SST compared to no/placebo treatment and alternative treatment on offending, externalizin...

To identify adolescents who may be at risk for adverse outcomes, we examined the extent of COVID-19-related concerns reported by adolescents and investigated which prepandemic risk and protective factors predicted these concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dutch adolescents (N = 188; M age = 13.49, SD = .81) were assessed before the pandemic and...

Chronic stress is associated with dysregulations in the physiological stress system, resulting in diverse negative developmental outcomes. Since adolescence is a period characterized by increased stress‐sensitivity, and schools are an important environment for the developing adolescent, school‐based interventions promoting psychosocial functioning...

This quasi-experimental study examined the short-term effectiveness of Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD), a short prison-based dog-training program, on anti-social behavioral and wellbeing outcomes of incarcerated adults (n = 138; men = 133; women = 5). Little is known about the responsivity of subgroups – and the prerequisites of change – in dog-training prog...

This study examined the effectiveness of Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD), a prison-based dog training program that aims to improve socioemotional functioning of incarcerated youth by giving them the opportunity to train a shelter dog. Primary (aggression and institutional infractions) and secondary (wellbeing and therapeutic functioning) outcomes were assess...

Juveniles who become radicalized pose a great threat for society. Although research on radicalization is accumulating, a quantitative review of risk factors for youth radicalization is lacking. Therefore, a series of meta-analyses were conducted on k = 30 studies (247 effect sizes) to examine risk factors for radicalization in youth, yielding signi...

Prison-based dog training programs (DTPs) aim to improve successful rehabilitation after detention. However, empirical evidence for their effectiveness is lacking. To evaluate the effectiveness of a DTP—Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD)—on externalizing behavior, stress, self-esteem, empathy, and treatment motivation, a pilot study with a Multiple Case Experim...

Increased levels of psychological stress during adolescence have been associated with a decline in academic performance, school dropout and increased risk of mental health problems. Intervening during this developmental period may prevent these problems. The school environment seems particularly suitable for interventions and over the past decade,...

Prison-based Dog Programs (PBDPs) are used in correctional facilities to decrease recidivism and improve social-emotional functioning. The aim of this meta-analysis was to provide an overview of the effectiveness of PBDPs, accounting for the potential influence of study, program, and sample characteristics through moderator analyses. We included 11...

Background Psychopathy has repeatedly been linked with delinquency and criminal recidivism of adults. With the increase of studies examining psychopathic traits in juveniles, it is important to also study this association in juveniles to increase the effectiveness of preventive interventions for juvenile delinquency. Purpose The primary aim of the...

Background: Adolescence is a period of elevated stress sensitivity, which places adolescents at increased risk of developing mental health problems such as burnout, depression, anxiety, and externalizing problems. Early intervention of psychological needs and low-threshold care addressing such needs may prevent this dysfunctional development. Scho...

Objectives To examine (1) the long-term effects on reoffending of an individual SST for juvenile delinquents in The Netherlands and (2) whether effects differ by demographic and offense history characteristics. Methods The present study is a follow-up of a matched control study comparing post-treatment effects of N = 115 juveniles receiving Tools4...

The present study examined the effectiveness of Family Group Conferencing (FGC) in child welfare. Effects were operationalized in terms of child safety (child maltreatment, supervision order, and out-of-home placement), number of professional services used, parental empowerment, and social support in a 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Furthermor...

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between attachment and psychopathic traits. A systematic search of relevant articles yielded 12 studies (11 independent samples), containing 133 effect sizes based on in total 1876 participants. Results from a three-level random-effects meta-analysis demonstrated a small-to-medium significant...

Background: This study aimed to examine the short- and long term (cost-) effectiveness of Family Group Conferencing (FGC) compared to care as usual (CAU) in terms of improved child safety, empowerment and social support. Methods: A subgroup of a larger randomized controlled trial, comprising 69 families in child welfare (experimental group: n =...

Background: Many former inmates recidivate, resulting in high costs for societies worldwide. Evidence based treatment practices may not work in prisons, due to detainees' lacking motivation, impaired well-being, and an unsafe group environment. One attempt to improve social group climate and well-being is the use of Prison-based Animal Programs (P...

The Signs of Safety (SoS) approach has been designed as a tool for professionals to support families and children referred to child protection services, aiming to prevent child maltreatment in early stages. The current study was conducted to give in-depth information on how the SoS-approach is applied to foster parental empowerment and build a coop...

Objectives: To examine the influence of affective empathy on post-treatment effects on social information processing of an outpatient individual social skills training for justice-involved adolescents. Methods: The sample consisted of juveniles who received Tools4U, a social skills training with a parental component, as a penal sanction (N = 115)....

New Perspectives (NP) aims to prevent persistent criminal behavior. We examined the long-term effectiveness of NP and whether the effects were moderated by demographic and delinquency factors. At-risk youth aged 12 to 19 years were randomly assigned to the intervention group (NP, n = 47) or care as usual (CAU, n = 54). Official and self-report data...

Aim of the present study was to identify which families involved in child welfare are willing to organize a Family Group conference (FGc; phase 1) and which are most likely to complete a conference (phase 2). Data were used of a Dutch randomized controlled trial (N = 229). First, the proportion of families willing to organize an FGc and actually co...

Objectives New Perspectives (NP) aims to prevent that youth at onset of a criminal career will develop a more persistent criminal behavior pattern. The study aim was to examine whether NP was effective relative to care as usual in preventing and reducing (persistent) delinquency. Moreover, we examined improvements in secondary outcomes (e.g., peer...

Background Effective interventions for young adults with severe, multiple problems – such as psychosocial and psychiatric problems, delinquency, unemployment and substance use – are scarce but urgently needed in order to support an adequate transition to adulthood. A multimodal day treatment program called “New Opportunities” (in Dutch: “De Nieuwe...

Multiple studies have shown that Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is, at group level, an effective treatment for adolescents showing serious externalizing problem behavior. The current study expands previous research on MST by, first, examining whether subgroups of participants who respond differently to treatment could be identified. Second, we investi...

Objectives To examine the post-treatment effectiveness of an outpatient, individual social skills training for juvenile delinquents in the Netherlands and to conduct moderator tests for age, gender, ethnicity, and risk of reoffending. Methods The sample consisted of juveniles who received Tools4U, a social skills training with a parental component,...

A meta-analytic study, involving 14 controlled studies (N = 88495 participants), was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Family Group Conferencing (FGC) in youth care. Child safety (in terms of reports of child maltreatment and out-of-home placement) and involvement of youth care were included as outcome variables; study, sample and intervent...

This study increases knowledge on effectiveness of treatment for extremely violent (EV) youth by investigating their response to multisystemic therapy (MST). Using data of a randomized controlled trial on effectiveness of MST, we investigated differences in treatment response between EV youth and not extremely violent (NEV) youth. Pre- to post-trea...

Recently, a critical commentary was published in the British Journal of Social Work in which the use of Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) to examine the effects of Family Group Conferencing (FGC) was questioned and alternatives were proposed to better examine the effects of FGC. According to the authors, a critical approach towards the evidence p...

This study examined the influence of treatment motivation on posttreatment effectiveness of an outpatient, individual social skills training for juvenile delinquents imposed as a penal sanction. Propensity score matching was used to match a control group of juveniles receiving treatment as usual (n = 108 of total N = 354) to a treatment group of ju...

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the moderating role of Big Five personality traits in short and long term effectiveness of MultiSystemic Therapy (MST) for serious and persistent juvenile delinquents. Method: Data of a randomized controlled trial (N = 256) were used to examine the research question. Results: Extraversion, Emot...

This study investigated relations among children's personality types, trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems, and overreactive parenting across 6 years. Latent Class Analysis of the Big 5 personality dimensions (modeled as latent factors, based on mother, father and teacher reports) for 429 children (mean age 8 years at Time 1) re...

The Attachment Insecurity Screening Inventory (AISI) 2–5 years is a parent-report questionnaire for assessing attachment insecurity in preschoolers. Validity and reliability of the AISI 2–5 years were examined in a general sample (n = 429) and in a clinical sample (n = 71). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed a three-factor model of avoida...

This study investigated stability of toddlers’ temperament types, and longitudinal associations between temperament types and parenting. Mothers (n = 96) reported on their child’s temperament four times throughout 1 year (44 % girls; Mage = 30 months, range = 18–43 months). Parenting was measured by self-report and observation. We found three tempe...

This study examined the New Perspectives Aftercare Program (NPAP) for serious juvenile and young adult offenders in The Netherlands. Participants (n = 127) were randomly assigned to NPAP (n = 66) or existing aftercare services ("treatment as usual" [TAU], n = 61). The aim was to determine whether NPAP was effective in decreasing cognitive distortio...

The aim of this study was to test whether the associations between adolescent-parent attachment and externalizing problem behavior of adolescents were mediated by adolescent cognitive distortions, self-esteem, parental monitoring and association with deviant peers. A total of 102 adolescents (71 % male; aged 12–19 years) at risk for developing deli...

The present study examines gender differences in the association between abuse and neglect during childhood, and sexual and violent offending in juvenile delinquents. Female juvenile delinquents were more frequently victim of sexual and physical abuse and had a history of neglect and maltreatment than male juvenile offenders. Male juvenile offender...

Stabiliteit en longitudinale relaties met negatief en positief opvoedgedrag Alithe L. van den Akker · Maja Deković · Peter Prinzie · Jessica J. Asscher Samenvatting In deze studie onderzochten we de stabiliteit van temperamenttypes bij peuters, en longitudinale relaties tussen temperamenttypes en opvoedgedrag. Moeders (n = 96) rapporteerden vier ke...

The aim of the present study was threefold: to examine (1) the relation between both cognitive and affective empathy and prosocial behavior; (2) the relation between both cognitive and affective empathy and offending; and (3) the role of cognitive distortions in the relation between cognitive empathy, affective empathy and offending in a sample of...

This study aimed to examine the presence and impact of dynamic protective factors for delinquency in male adolescents with a history of sexual and/or violent offending. Bipolar factors (factors with risk and protective factors being the ends of the same continuum) were examined in male adolescents with a history of sexual offenses against younger c...

Financial debt in young people has increased in recent years. Because debt may have severe consequences, and it may enhance criminal behavior, insight into the prevalence and determinants of debt and its association with crime is important. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 36 manuscripts to examine the prevalence of financial d...

In this study, we investigated mean-level personality development in children from 6 to 20 years of age. Additionally, we investigated longitudinal, bidirectional associations between child personality and maternal overreactive and warm parenting. In this 5-wave study, mothers reported on their child's personality from Time 1 (T1) through Time 4 (T...

Background There is a lack of knowledge about specific effective ingredients of prevention programs for youth at risk for persistent delinquent behavior. The present study combines findings of previous studies by examining the effectiveness of programs in preventing persistent juvenile delinquency and by studying which particular program, sample, a...

Clarijs (2013) promoveerde onlangs op het proefschrift Tirannie in de jeugdzorg, een historische beleidsanalyse van 60 jaar transitie (decentralisatie) en transformatie van de jeugdzorg.

The present study focused on the sustainability of the effects of Multisystemic Therapy (MST) on delinquency and recidivism. A sample of 256 juveniles with severe and persistent antisocial behavior were randomly assigned to MST (147) and Treatment As Usual (TAU) (109) condition. Pre-test assessment took place before the start of MST/control group t...

This study evaluated the Family Crisis Intervention Program (FCIP), focusing on crisis, child safety, family functioning and child behaviour problems. Questionnaires were completed by 183 families in crisis and their FCIP worker. After FCIP, the crisis had decreased and child safety had increased. Although problematic family functioning persisted a...

New Perspectives (NP) is a prevention program aiming to prevent that youth at onset of a criminal career will develop a persistent criminal behaviour pattern. The effects of NP on juvenile delinquency and other life domains are investigated, using a randomized controlled trial (RCT). In the present study at-risk youth aged 12 to 23 years are assign...