Ruudje is a criminologist with a background in academic and practice-oriented research into youth crime and youth care. Among other things, she has been involved in the further development of the youth probation service and in describing judicial interventions for young people with mild intellectual disabilities. As a researcher and adviser in the field of forensic youth care, she has observed that whilst we already know a great deal about what works, the issues are often complex, and the question remains: how do we actually put what works into practice? How do we ensure that research genuinely yields results for practice?
In her quest to make an even greater impact through research, Ruudje therefore undertook the PAR Practitioners Programme in the spring of 2025. She is currently (autumn 2026) carrying out her PAR on the martial arts intervention ‘From Trauma to Strength’ on behalf of the City of Amsterdam. This is an intervention aimed at young people in the youth justice system with a history of trauma. In this role, Ruudje, together with fellow Participatory Action Researcher Anne Boer, supports all those involved – including young people, trainers, mental health practitioners, referrers and the commissioning body – to work together to further implement and professionalise the intervention.
In addition, Ruudje is currently working as an independent action researcher on various research projects. These include work for the Academic Workplace for Youth at Risk, on a study into the care needs of young people with a High Forensic Profile, and on the development and implementation of a preventive intervention to combat youth crime, called kansRIJK.