Dimensie

With the trend of true crime podcasts, we believe to know quite a bit about the world of crime. But is this knowledge just speculation or are we true professionals in Forensics?

Join us at this year's Symposium to learn more about Forensic Psychology!

A Symposium is a whole day of lectures and workshops on a certain topic. This year's topic is "Forensic Psychology, Criminally Interesting". On the 4th of June speakers from all over the Netherlands have been invited to discuss with you different aspects of Forensic Psychology. We will talk about negotiation skills, forensic care, risk assessment, disclosure of evidence and more! Apart from this, we will provide you with a free lunch, free coffee and tea for the whole day, and some goodies for each participant. 

The participation fee is €8 for Dimensie members. Or €10 for Psychology students.

You can sign up here!

TIME PLANNING:

Opening Lecture: 11:00 - 12:30

Break: 12:30 - 13:45

Round 1: 13:45 - 15:15

Round 2: 15:45 - 17:15

Closing Lecture: 17:30 - 18:00

These are our speakers!

Steven Watson (University of Twente)

General Introduction Forensic Psychology (Opening Lecture)

What is it about crime and forensics that we find so fascinating and keeps us on the edge of our seats while listening to all those true crime shows and podcasts? In this opening lecture, Steven Watson will introduce legal and forensic psychology, explore the research around why we find it so interesting, and give guidance on related career pathways.

Elyan Aarts (University of Amsterdam)

Technology in Forensic Care (Round 1)

Nowadays so much more is possible than just a few years ago thanks to new technologies. How are these technologies changing the way in which we approach forensic mental health? Elyan Aarts will delve deeper into the use of different types of technology like VR, wearables, and mobile applications in forensic mental health.

Miriam Oostinga (University of Twente)

Mind matters: Navigating mental health with empathy and awareness. (Round 2)

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This workshop offers a deeper understanding of mental health and how to approach it with awareness and empathy. You’ll explore what mental health really means, why it’s essential for everyone, and gain insight into the stigma that often affects specific communities. In the second half of the workshop, we shift from theory to practice. Through interactive carousel-style roleplays, you’ll develop skills in empathetic listening—an invaluable tool for police negotiators and anyone working in people-focused roles.

Marjolein Ausems & Violaine Veen (Expertisecenter Forensic Psychiatry)

Forensic ambulant care, EFP organisation, mostly career oriented (Round 1)

The specific focus of the lecture is still to be defined. The topic will cover what work is like in the Expertisecentrum Forensische Psychiatrie (EFP) and ambulant care.

Martijn van Beek (Police Academy)

Interview standards (Mendez principles), interviewee training/preparations, & disclosure of evidence (Round 2)

In his presentation, Martijn van Beek from the Police Academy will give a short overview of the Méndez Principles: a United Nations-driven protocol for promoting and ensuring ethical and effective interviewing. He will also talk about the role of evidence disclosure in interviews with suspects: how and when should this best be done and for which purposes? And lastly, he discusses interview training and practices in the Netherlands (with a focus upon suspect interviews): is it 'Méndez proof'?

Jiska Jonas (University of Twente)

Victim Offender Mediation (Round 2)

In this session participants will be introduction to restorative justice and victim-offender mediation. What is mediation, what can it offer to parties and what are the risks and benefits. After this introduction, and discussion the core qualities of the mediator, participants will experience a mediation session via a role play. 

Yvonne Bouman (Transfore)

Dynamic Risk Assessment (Round 2)

While working in the field of forensic psychology, you encounter numerous risks. But how do you determine the severity of these risks? Risk assessment involves predicting the likelihood of dangerous behaviours like violent crimes. This knowledge helps determine appropriate treatment strategies. During this presentation, Yvonne Bouman and Jan Willem van den Berg from Transfore will tell you all about dynamic risk assessments.

Jan Willem van den Berg (Transfore)

Dynamic Risk Assessment (Round 2)

While working in the field of forensic psychology, you encounter numerous risks. But how do you determine the severity of these risks? Risk assessment involves predicting the likelihood of dangerous behaviours like violent crimes. This knowledge helps determine appropriate treatment strategies. During this presentation, Yvonne Bouman and Jan Willem van den Berg from Transfore will tell you all about dynamic risk assessments.

Vivienne de Vogel (Van der Hoeven Clinic & University of Utrecht)

Relationship trauma and offending behaviour, risk assessment (especially for women) & hospital system / effectiveness (Round 1)

Forensic mental health care: how gender-sensitive and effective is it? In this presentation, Vivienne de Vogel will discuss recent developments in forensic mental health care with a focus on effectiveness of treatment, and the importance of trauma-informed care. She will specifcally focus on female forensic psychiatric patients and describe a case study to illustrate gender sensitive risk assessment and gender responsive treatment.