Violence against Civilians in Armed Conflicts – An Investigation of Indiscriminate Violence
In my dissertation I am researching the causes and the consequences of indiscriminate violence. Indiscriminate violence is often described as either counter-productive or ineffective. However, even a brief review of currently ongoing conflicts shows that it is frequently used. As governments bomb residential areas or send out death squads to kill civilians, it remains incomprehensible why they do this. In my dissertation I build a model that explains at least part of the puzzle. This model shows that violence against specific groups can produce deterrence effects much like selective violence. Currently, I test this model with data on ethnic groups and ethnic wars.