Abstract

Finn-Aage (“Finn”) Esbensen was E. Desmond Lee Professor of Youth Crime and Violence in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). He completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Tufts University, followed by a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1982. Esbensen’s career spans an array of methodologies and topics, from participant observation in a county jail to longitudinal, national surveys of adolescents. His areas of specialization are youth violence, gangs, evaluation, and cross-cultural research. A key aspect of his work is the intersection between research and policy, which led him to participate in both evaluation and basic research projects. His notable roles include Principal Investigator for the UMSL Comprehensive School Safety Initiative, a multi-year study funded by the National Institute of Justice, focused on school safety. (Visit Finn’s profile on Google Scholar here.)

Keywords: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of Missouri St. Louis, youth violence, Denmark, Behavioral Research Institute, Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program, criminology, gang transitions, youth gangs in international perspective.