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How indiscriminate violence fuels conflicts between groups: Evidence from Kenya
Sebastian Schutte1, Constantin Ruhe2, Andrew M Linke3
1Peace Research Institute Oslo, Norway.
Social Science Research
|February 20, 2022
Summary
Indiscriminate violence during armed conflict increases fear, prejudice, and calls for segregation among targeted groups. Selective violence does not yield these negative outcomes, highlighting the impact of attack type on intergroup relations.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Political Science
- Conflict Studies
Background:
- Armed conflicts often exacerbate intergroup tensions.
- The cognitive perspective of group identification offers insights but lacks specific causal pathways.
- Understanding the psychological impact of different violence types is crucial for conflict resolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal pathways linking armed conflict violence to intergroup dynamics.
- To differentiate the effects of indiscriminate versus selective violence on prejudice and cohesion.
- To test predictions using real-world survey data and experimental methods.
Main Methods:
- Panel surveys conducted in Nairobi and Mombasa during the 2017 Kenyan elections.
- Two-way Fixed Effects estimation to analyze survey data.
- An endorsement experiment to further test causal relationships.
Main Results:
- Indiscriminate violence was found to induce fear of future attacks.
- This fear subsequently led to increased prejudice and in-group cohesion.
- Evidence supported calls for segregation among Christians following indiscriminate violence.
- Selective violence did not produce similar effects on intergroup relations.
Conclusions:
- Indiscriminate violence, not selective violence, drives negative intergroup outcomes like prejudice and segregation.
- Fear is a key mediating mechanism linking violence exposure to heightened in-group bias.
- Findings underscore the importance of distinguishing violence types in conflict-affected settings.