What Transforms Ordinary People into Gross Human Rights Violators?

S.C. Carey & S.C. Poe (eds.) Understanding human rights violations, Ashgate (2004)

8 Pages Posted: 22 Jan 2014

Date Written: January 22, 2004

Abstract

This paper focuses on the transformation process that turns ordinary people into gross human rights violators. It aims to show that ordinary and natural reactions of ordinary and average people to very specific circumstances almost inevitably result in turning these people into perpetrators of gross human rights violations. Within this transformation process three different phases and one decisive moment are identified.

Keywords: perpetrators; international crimes; genocide

Suggested Citation

Smeulers, Alette, What Transforms Ordinary People into Gross Human Rights Violators? (January 22, 2004). S.C. Carey & S.C. Poe (eds.) Understanding human rights violations, Ashgate (2004), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2383061

Alette Smeulers (Contact Author)

Univeristy of Groningen ( email )

9700 AS Groningen
Netherlands

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