Introducing DyoRep: A database of perpetrator–victim dyads within repressive spells

Abstract

Most investigations of state repression presume a unitary state actor, but this assumption might not always be reasonable and, indeed, it might be hindering our ability to understand what is taking place as well as why. For example, it may be that certain perpetrators are engaged in more activities than others or that specific ones engage in the most violent activities. It may be that certain government actors are influenced by some factors whereas other actors are only influenced by others. Finally, it might be the case that certain victims are more likely treated violently than others. To date, paramilitaries have received some attention, but other actors—such as the police, the military, intelligence agents, and immigration and prison officials—have escaped examination beyond a single form of repression: torture. In an effort to better understand the variation that exists within state repressive activity (i.e., Political Terror Scale values of 3 and above), DyoRep uses State Department and Amnesty International reports to identify more precisely who does what to whom and why. These data are conceived at the temporal unit of the year yielding approximately 9000+ spell-year observations (thus far—several thousand more are currently being coded). This article introduces the database, provides various descriptives regarding who engages in what activity, and explores questions that emerge from these data that suggest that we know little about state repression but that the future of such research is a bit brighter.