A Three-Dimensional Model for Perpetrators of Genocide

Abstract

Over the seven decades since the passing of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (UNGC), our understanding of both genocide as a crime and perpetrator motivation has evolved. The definition of genocide as a punishable crime and the typologies of its perpetrators have become increasingly varied and complicated; as such, scholars have provided a number of new approaches for categorizing these individuals. However, these rigid typologies do not account for the nuances of human nature and social involvement. This paper argues that the understanding of perpetrator motivation must consider organizational, political, and social contexts by taking a closer look at the applicability of existing perpetrator typologies to international crimes, such as genocide, and by examining where specific types of perpetrators have been overlooked. With the UNGC’s legal power and an increasing focus on both past and present crimes, it is pertinent that perpetrator typologies continue to be refined and their applicability improved.