Video Violence Group studies real-life violent encounters using video recordings of conflicts in public places. The aim of our work is to understand what people do when they become a part of a conflict, the conditions that bring about their behavior, and the consequences of their actions for the way the conflict unfolds.

In our research, we use video data recorded with CCTV and body cameras in several countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and South Africa. We analyze the behavior of perpetrators, victims, bystanders, and law enforcement agents, situated in contexts of street violence, robberies, public transport, and prisons.

All our projects aim to convey basic research knowledge about patterns of violence, which can be useful for the development of crime preventive practices.

We are an international research group based at the Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen and Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR).