Welcome to the GroupViolence website. We study the behaviour of groups in antagonistic situations. The main question that drives our work is under what conditions groups de-escalate or escalate, when they commit (extreme) violence and when they make peace or retreat. To answer this question, we study how group members react to one another, how they react to their opponents and to third parties.

We use video data, interviews, real time observation, judicial case files and questionnaires. These data allow us to produce first qualitative and then quantitative findings. In this way, our research strategy tries to capture the complexity of  escalation and de-escalation processes.

Our research includes various groups and forms of violence, such as night-life security staff, free fight groups and hooligans, police teams, (delinquent) youth, riots and vigilante mob violence. 

Our research is funded by the European Research Council’s Consolidator Grant, which was awarded to Don Weenink, the PI and supervisor of the research team. You can download the full proposal here (part B1, part B2).

We are based at the Department of Sociology, at the University of Amsterdam. Have a look at the projects we are involved in, our publications, and who we are. For more info, please contact us via email.