Introducing POSVAR: A dataset on refugee-related violence
| DOI | 10.1177/0022343318811440 |
| Author | Christian Gineste,Burcu Savun |
| Published date | 01 January 2019 |
| Date | 01 January 2019 |
| Subject Matter | Special Data Feature |
Special Data Feature
Introducing POSVAR: A dataset
on refugee-related violence
Christian Gineste
Department of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh
Burcu Savun
Department of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh
Abstract
While scholars have for some time debated the role of refugee flows in the international spread of conflict, most
evidence has been indirect due to the scarcity of systematic data on refugee-related violence. The Political and
Societal Violence By And Against Refugees (POSVAR) dataset addresses this lacuna by providing cross-national,
time-series data on refugees’ involvement in acts of physical violence in their host state, either as the victims or the
perpetrators of violence, individually or collectively, in all countries between 1996 and 2015. In this article, we
provide an overview of the main features of the dataset, identify its limitations, and trace variation in reported levels
of refugee-related violence over time and across different types of actors. We emphasize that the data may be helpful
to both researchers and policymakers for more accurate understanding of the prevalence of refugee-related violence
and the design of more optimal policies to mitigate it.
Keywords
host states, refugees, refugee-related violence
Introduction
One of the most studied aspects of forced migration is
the potential security consequences of refugee groups for
host countries. Refugee flows have been associated with
an increase in the risk of interstate wars, civil wars, ter-
rorism, communal violence, and crime rates, especially if
host states are unable or unwilling to address potential
negative externalities (Choi & Salehyan, 2013; Fisk,
2018; Lischer, 2003, 2005; Salehyan & Gleditsch,
2006; Salehyan, 2008, 2009; Whitaker, 2003; Zolberg,
Suhrke & Aguayo, 1989). The policy implications of this
research program are consequential not only for the secu-
rity of states hosting refugees but also, and more impor-
tantly, for the well-being of millions of individuals
who leave their homes to escape violence and persecu-
tion. With the global increase in the number of
forced migrants and the rise of far-right parties and
anti-immigrant rhetoric, it is increasingly imperative
that scholars and policymakers have an accurate
understanding of the prevalence and dynamics of
refugee-related violence.
While recent research has made important strides in
advancing our understanding of refugee-related violence,
the relevant empirical literature has yet to overcome two
major empirical and theoretical challenges. First, refu-
gees are often portrayed as violent actors, when strong
anecdotal evidence suggests that they are generally the
victims of abuse. In the absence of systematic empirical
research on refugee victimization, scholars are at risk of
producing a biased and potentially misleading picture of
refugee-related violence. Second, the extent to which
some refugees may be intentionally responsible for the
spread of conflict remains unclear. Although empirical
evidence suggests that larger refugee populations are
associated with higher levels of violence in host states,
Corresponding author:
burcu@pitt.edu
Journal of Peace Research
2019, Vol. 56(1) 134–145
ªThe Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/0022343318811440
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