Perpetrator Identity and Public Responses to Civilian Victimization

• In Event: Transitioning From Conflict to Peace: The Case of Colombia

Abstract

How does perpetrator identity shape the ways that people respond to accusations of civilian victimization? Although a range of research suggests that people do not respond as negatively to civilian targeting committed by their preferred armed groups, we remain unsure of the mechanisms by which perpetrator characteristics affect public responses to violence as well as the contexts under which perpetrator identity plays a smaller or larger role in shaping these responses. Yet, understanding these mechanisms is crucial for assessing public attitudes toward both armed groups and transitional justice processes. I propose three mechanisms: perpetrator identity alters people’s beliefs about the cause of the violence, the severity of the abuse, and which actors ultimately bear responsibility for the victimization. Further, I argue that the source of the allegations and the armed group’s response to the accusations affect the salience of each mechanism. To test the implications of this theory, I run an online factorial survey experiment in Colombia in which respondents are presented with a news story about a new allegation of violence against civilians perpetrated by an armed group.

Author

• Gabriella Levy, Duke University