The psychological perspectives of civilian perpetrators of the May 1998 riots in Indonesia: Motivations and justifications

The project will interview civilians who took part in the May 1998 riots in order to explore their motivations for participation and how they justify their actions. The psychological approach of this study in exploring perpetrators’ personal dynamics (such as motivations and justifications) may allow for new insights into what actually triggers mass violence at the intrapersonal level. In particular, such an exploration provides a framework to understand the psychological mechanisms involved in driving certain individuals to commit immoral and criminal actions.