Videos

Every year, the Belgian police have the equivalent of some 3,600 officers absent due to sick leave. "That's as if there wasn't an officer in Antwerp and Ghent for a year," explains criminologist Celien De Stercke (UGent). Why is it that absence rates in the police have been higher than in other sectors for years? By looking at the sick absences from 2019, De Stercke got a better understanding of which groups within the police are especially absent for long periods and what factors play a role.

When we say Paris, you probably have a vivid image of the city, and think of the Eiffel Tower or the Pyramid of the Louvre - even if you've never been there. "We remember cities and are fascinated by them, even before we visit them - through photography." But what image do you have of the lesser-known 'Little Paris', the city of Bucharest?

You might think that slavery is something from the past, but it's not. Even today over 40 million people are being exploited through prostitution, forced labor or organ trade globally. There is a lot of research on human trafficking, but little attention is paid to the experiences of victims afterward. Through interviews, Victoria Wozniak-Cole is giving them a voice. She hopes to better understand the negative treatment they get and help break the stigma they face.

For children with autism or attention or motor disorders, it is quite a challenge to participate in activities such as playing tag, taking a test, or staying over at a friend's house. Marieke Coussens and her colleagues mapped the barriers that such young children experience. This knowledge is important to be able to break down those barriers and really allow these children to participate.

Refugees, migrants and ethnic minorities face complex problems, such as trauma, a loss of social network as well as discrimination. As a result, this can lead to mental and drugs problems. But do these people receive equitable drug treatment when they need it, here in Flanders? That's what Charlotte De Kock (Ghent University) devotes her research to.

Did you know that in the Belgium Government there are 7 times more political workers than elected politicians? That is quite a lot more than in the Netherlands, where an elected official has about 3 political staff members. Why is that and is this beneficial for democracy? Pieter Moens (UGent) shines his light in this video.

Sending out lots of CVs is no guarantee of finding a good job. Yet much research still focuses on the quantity of job-seeking behaviour, the time and effort that job-seekers spend on their search. Jolien Stremersch (UGent) wants jobseekers to search smarter for a job, instead of harder.

"Human trafficking is, simply put, a trade in persons. People are the commodity and it's one of the fastest-growing forms of illegal trade in the world." Sarah Adeyinka's research focuses on the wellbeing of victims of human trafficking: what experiences did they have along the way? Where are they now? And how did they cope and still cope with these experiences of trauma? 

Research shows police spend only 60% of all patrol time in crime hotspots. Philipp M. Dau (UGent) uses data to analyze both police and crime hotspots. These new insights could help police departments more efficiently, guide officers while being on patrol and make our cities a safer place. 

Slim top models and muscled hunks are increasingly making way for realistic models in advertising campaigns. A good evolution, although it is not clear whether these campaigns actually result in a more positive body image. Orpha de Lenne studies realistic advertisements to find out how they can really make us feel better about our body. 

Sofie Claerhout's doctorate was looking for a new way to trace offenders in a murder case on the basis of DNA found at the crime scene. Using DNA kinship analysis, she can map out distant kinships, up to 40 generations apart, on the basis of a DNA sample. This makes it possible to trace the perpetrator much more precisely.

How do we bring relevant news to young people, who are often not in the habit of reading a newspaper or scrolling through a news app? Kristin Van Damme researches this for and with young people. What to think of a news alarm clock or could Spotify make a career as a newsreader?