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Appetitive aggression in former combatants--derived from the ongoing conflict in DR Congo
Tobias Hecker1, Katharin Hermenau, Anna Maedl
1Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany. tobias.hecker@uni-konstanz.de
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry
|March 17, 2012
Summary
Former combatants
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Sociology
Background:
- Soldiers and combatants frequently report finding violence appealing, fascinating, and exciting.
- Understanding the psychological drivers of aggression in armed conflict is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the predictors of appetitive aggression in former combatants.
- To identify characteristics associated with a heightened appetite for aggression.
Main Methods:
- A sequential multiple regression analysis was performed.
- Data were collected from 224 former combatants in eastern DRC using semistructured interviews and a 15-item appetitive aggression scale.
Main Results:
- Perpetrated violence types, voluntary recruitment, and childhood recruitment significantly predicted appetitive aggression, explaining 26% of its variability.
- Duration of service, military rank, and exposure to violence were not significant predictors.
- High appetitive aggression correlated with perpetrating numerous violent acts, voluntary enlistment, and joining as a child.
Conclusions:
- Voluntary enlistment suggests pre-existing appetitive aggression.
- Joining armed groups at a young age and regular violence perpetration appear to intensify this appetite.
- Combatants with high appetitive aggression are characterized by extensive violence and specific recruitment pathways.
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