PhD Student Position: Legal and psychological studies into elder abuse in the Netherlands

Updated: over 1 year ago
Deadline: 31 Dec 2022

PhD Student Position: Legal and psychological studies into elder abuse in the Netherlands
PhD Student Position: Legal and psychological studies into elder abuse in the Netherlands
Published Deadline Location
23 Nov 31 Dec Maastricht

Job description

Do you have a strong interest in conducting research at the intersection of criminal law and psychology? We are looking for a candidate who will examine the topic of elder abuse from both a legal and psychological perspective.

On 15 June 2022, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners published “Tackling abuse of older people: five priorities for the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030)”. The WHO has set five priorities for the Decade of Healthy Ageing to prevent and respond to abuse of older people. The Netherlands is no exception to the global problem of elder abuse. A recent interview study conducted by Regioplan (completed in Rotterdam, Tilburg and Boxtel) concluded that one in 20 (5%) elderly people (defined as 65 and above) living independently reported having been abused. The most frequently reported type of abuse was financial abuse, followed by psychological and physical abuse (Bakker et al., 2018). However, there appear to be no Dutch prevalence data on elder abuse in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. This is a serious omission, because recent meta-analytic studies show that prevalence rates are higher in institutional compared to community settings (Yon et al., 2018).

In recent years, the Dutch government has invested in raising awareness about domestic abuse and increased preventive efforts, including elder abuse. There is a Reporting Code (in Dutch: Meldcode ) on Domestic Abuse, with legally binding guidelines for professionals who are concerned about domestic abuse in a case. Obviously, raising awareness and a Reporting Code are necessary but not sufficient conditions to stop elder abuse. Comijs et al. (1998) conducted a follow-up study of their victims after one year and found that roughly 40% of them were still being abused.

What are you going to do?

This PhD project will consist of four interrelated studies that align nicely with some of the WHO priorities: (1) Prevalence study of elder abuse in the Netherlands, both in the community and in institutions; (2) Experiences of victims of elder abuse; (3) Risk and protective factors for elder abuse; and (4) Elder abuse in criminal law. There is also opportunity to design additional studies.

The project will require intensive collaboration with societal partners, such as Safe Home (Veilig Thuis), the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Openbaar Ministerie) and the courts.

In addition to the PhD project you will also be involved in education for 10-20% of your contract. The exact courses that you will be teaching will be decided upon later.


Specifications
  • max. 38 hours per week
  • €2960—€3122 per month
  • Maastricht View on Google Maps

Maastricht University (UM)


Requirements
  • A Master degree in Psychology and/or Law, with evidence of specific interest in and/or knowledge of Legal/Forensic Psychology
  • Research experience in the area of psychology and/or law
  • Strong statistical skills
  • Fluent in Dutch and English
  • Excellent academic writing and presentation skills
  • Strong social and communicative skills

Conditions of employment

Fixed-term contract: Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

We offer a 1.0 fte contract for a period of 4 years, starting preferably as per 1 March 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter. Continuation after the first year is dependent upon a positive evaluation.

The full-time gross monthly salary amounts to € 2.960,00 in the first year according to salary scale PhD (‘promovendus’), increasing to € 3.122,00 in the fourth year; on top of this there will be an 8% holiday and an 8,3% year-end allowance.

You have to be willing to move to (the vicinity of) Maastricht. If you do not already live in Maastricht (or its direct surroundings), you will be eligible for an allowance for moving costs. If you do not already live in Maastricht (or its direct surroundings), you might be eligible for an allowance for alternative housing. Other secondary conditions include a pension scheme and partially paid parental leave.

The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl  > About UM > Working at UM .

 


Employer
Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 22,000 students and about 5,000 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. For more information, visit www.maastrichtuniversity.nl .


Department
Department of Criminal Law and Criminology

The project will be supervised by academic staff from both the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience but you will formally be stationed at the department of Criminal Law and Criminology (Faculty of Law). The department of Criminal Law and Criminology offers, inter alia, courses in the field of criminal law and criminal procedure, as part of our LL.B. and LL.M. programmes. Members of the department analyse crime, criminal law and criminal procedure from an interdisciplinary and legal perspective. The department is embedded in the Faculty of Law that offers an international classroom with students from over 20 different nationalities. The members of the department are also liaised with the MICS-research program (Maastricht Institute for Criminal Sciences - Research - Maastricht University ).


Additional information

For more information on this vacancy please contact:

prof. Suzan van der Aa: [email protected] ;

prof. Corine de Ruiter:  [email protected] ;

or

prof. Henry Otgaar: [email protected] .

To apply at this vacancy, press the button ‘apply now’ to see the application procedure.


Working at Maastricht University

Maastricht University distinguishes itself with its innovative education model, international character and multidisciplinary approach to research and education.


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Apply via postal mail

[email protected]

Don't forget to mention AcademicTransfer and the job number: AT2022.487 in your letter.


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Application procedure

If you are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your application. Please submit your application, no later than 31 December 2022 23:59 to [email protected] , with reference to the vacancynumber AT2022.487 in your letter.

An application consists of:

  • A research proposal of max. 2 A4 in English in which you elaborate on your research plans regarding one of the four studies mentioned above (prevalence study; experiences of victims of elder abuse; risk and protective factors, or elder abuse in criminal law);
  • a detailed CV, including – if applicable – relevant publications;
  • academic transcript of bachelor’s and master’s degrees and list of grades;
  • proof of the English language level (being a native speaker, having completed a university degree in the English language or having passed a IELTS or TOEFL test; a IELTS score of 6.5 with no less than 6.5 in writing or an internet-based TOEFL score of 90 with no less than 23 in writing is sufficient);
  • a motivation letter;
  • contact details of two references;
  • the master thesis or, if applicable, another substantial piece of English or Dutch academic writing.

Please note, the system cannot upload the following attachments (xyz.zip .htm .html).

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.

 



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