Ties that Bind: Sibling Influences on Crimes of Genocide

• In Event: Investigating Radicalization Pathways and the Commission of Extremist and Genocidal Violence

Abstract

Over forty genocides have occurred since 1945, resulting in more deaths than all homicides that were committed during this same time period. Researchers have consequently turned their attention to why people commit genocide, with recent scholarship emphasizing the role of interpersonal networks. Yet, while a rich body of criminological research suggests that sibling ties shape engagement in crime, how these intimate familial dynamics may influence participation in genocidal violence has yet to be explored. This paper draws upon criminological theories of socialization into deviance to examine how sibling ties impacted genocidal behavior during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. We draw upon a novel dataset of all post-genocide gacaca court trials that found upwards of 800,000 Rwandans guilty of engagement in the genocide. We supplement these data with 45 interviews with Rwandans who perpetrated violence and whose siblings also perpetrated violence. Findings suggest that exposure to a sibling’s violence is tied to one’s own engagement, reinforcing the idea that genocidal crime, like other forms of criminal behavior, can be learned. What is more, we find sex differences to moderate this relationship; same-sex sibling participation is positively associated with engagement in violent crime, but opposite sex participation holds a negative effect. Interview data will be used to theorize the mechanisms behind these findings. 

Authors

• Jack Wippell, The Ohio State University

• Hollie Nyseth Nzitatira, The Ohio State University

• Jared Edgerton, University of Texas at Dallas