Exploring the impact of algorithmic policing on social justice: Developing a framework for rhizomatic harm in the pre-crime society.

Rosamunde Elise Van Brakel; Lander Govaerts

doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/13624806241246267

Exploring the impact of algorithmic policing on social justice: Developing a framework for rhizomatic harm in the pre-crime society.

Rosamunde Elise Van Brakel, Lander Govaerts

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Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to digital criminology by proposing a framework of rhizomatic harms of algorithmic policing. We propose to expand zemiologist insights with a technological and relational component, and to broaden the concept of 'social harms' to 'rhizomatic harms'. Rhizomatic harms are to be understood in all their complexity, as they emerge from multiple entry points with the creation of complex layers of harms as a result. By focussing on the genealogy of rhizomatic harms of algorithmic policing in our analysis we aim to make visible the collective, relational, cumulative, and intersectional dimensions of harms and the role macro, meso and micro processes play in harm production. The Top400 list and the use of the ProKid + algorithm in Amsterdam, The Netherlands will be used to exemplify our framework.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	91–109
Number of pages <span style="color:red"p> <font size="1.5"> ✽ </span> </font>	19
Journal	Theoretical Criminology
Volume	29
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/13624806241246267
Publication status	Published - 2025

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: this work was supported by the Interuniversity Flemish BOF project: Future-Proofing Human Rights: Developing Thicker Forms of Accountability.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

Keywords

Youth justice
Juvenile delinquency
Children
policing
algorithms
Deleuze & Guattari
AI
rhizome
assemblage
harm
Risk Profiling
risk-assessments
pre-crime society

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van-brakel-govaerts-2024-exploring-the-impact-of-algorithmic-policing-on-social-justice-developing-a-framework-for-2Licence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

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title = "Exploring the impact of algorithmic policing on social justice: Developing a framework for rhizomatic harm in the pre-crime society.",

abstract = "This paper aims to contribute to digital criminology by proposing a framework of rhizomatic harms of algorithmic policing. We propose to expand zemiologist insights with a technological and relational component, and to broaden the concept of 'social harms' to 'rhizomatic harms'. Rhizomatic harms are to be understood in all their complexity, as they emerge from multiple entry points with the creation of complex layers of harms as a result. By focussing on the genealogy of rhizomatic harms of algorithmic policing in our analysis we aim to make visible the collective, relational, cumulative, and intersectional dimensions of harms and the role macro, meso and micro processes play in harm production. The Top400 list and the use of the ProKid + algorithm in Amsterdam, The Netherlands will be used to exemplify our framework. ",

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author = "{Van Brakel}, {Rosamunde Elise} and Lander Govaerts",

note = "Funding Information: The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: this work was supported by the Interuniversity Flemish BOF project: Future-Proofing Human Rights: Developing Thicker Forms of Accountability. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2024.",

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N2 - This paper aims to contribute to digital criminology by proposing a framework of rhizomatic harms of algorithmic policing. We propose to expand zemiologist insights with a technological and relational component, and to broaden the concept of 'social harms' to 'rhizomatic harms'. Rhizomatic harms are to be understood in all their complexity, as they emerge from multiple entry points with the creation of complex layers of harms as a result. By focussing on the genealogy of rhizomatic harms of algorithmic policing in our analysis we aim to make visible the collective, relational, cumulative, and intersectional dimensions of harms and the role macro, meso and micro processes play in harm production. The Top400 list and the use of the ProKid + algorithm in Amsterdam, The Netherlands will be used to exemplify our framework.

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KW - Risk Profiling

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Exploring the impact of algorithmic policing on social justice: Developing a framework for rhizomatic harm in the pre-crime society.

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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iBOF/21/031: Future-proofing human rights. Developing thicker forms of accountability.

Cite this

Exploring the impact of algorithmic policing on social justice: Developing a framework for rhizomatic harm in the pre-crime society.

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

iBOF/21/031: Future-proofing human rights. Developing thicker forms of accountability.

Cite this