Do Social Factors Differ between Rescuers, Bystanders, and Former Perpetrators? Explaining (Non-) Participation in a Genocide

Understanding which social factors (i.e. biographical availability, socialization, and situational contexts) support resistance or participation in genocide remains a largely unresolved societal and scientific question, due to the lack of direct comparisons between individuals who truly chose these different paths. In this study, we recruited sixty-four rescuers, fifty-six bystanders, and fifty-eight former perpetrators following the genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda. Contrary to previous findings, we observed that these groups showed minimal differences across most variables related to biographical availability, socialization, and situational contexts. The key distinction was that rescuers, compared to bystanders and former perpetrators, were more likely to have had role models in their youth – witnessing their relatives engage in helping or rescue actions. This research deepens our understanding of what sets rescuers apart and highlights trainable factors that could be leveraged in interventions to foster similar behaviours

Computer security · Criminology · Genocide · Injury prevention · Medical emergency · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Political science · Suicide prevention · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography · Computer Science · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Law · Medicine · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts · Political Conflict and Governance · Psychology · Social Psychology