Wartime ties and the social logic of crime
| Date | 01 July 2020 |
| Author | Sarah Zukerman Daly,Cyrus Samii,Laura Paler |
| Published date | 01 July 2020 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0022343319897098 |
| Subject Matter | Regular Articles |
Wartime ties and the social logic of crime
Sarah Zukerman Daly
Department of Political Science, Columbia University
Laura Paler
Department of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh
Cyrus Samii
Department of Politics, New York University
Abstract
While ex-combatant reintegration is vital to successful transitions from war to peace, some former fighters turn to
crime following demobilization. Such criminality undermines the consolidation of political order. Leading theories of
crime participation emphasize the role of both individual economic opportunities and factors related to social ties.
Yet, we still know little about the social logic of ex-combatant criminality and how social and economic factors relate
as drivers of crime participation. This article presents a theory of how wartime social ties – namely, vertical ties to
former commanders and horizontal ties to ex-combatant peers – influence ex-combatant crime on their own and via
their relationship to economic opportunity costs. We use the theory to derive predictions in the context of Colombia,
and then test them with a combination of administrative data and high-quality original survey data. We find that
both vertical and horizontal wartime ties are powerful drivers of ex-combatant criminality. Our evidence indicates
that wartime ties mitigate the risks of criminal behavior by facilitating the transmission of criminal capabilities and
pro-crime social norms. We do not find that economic conditions moderate the effect of wartime times nor do we
find any indication that economic opportunity costs, on their own, predict criminality. These findings underscore
the importance of wartime ties – both vertical and horizontal – to understanding post-conflict transitions and
designing reintegration interventions.
Keywords
civil war, Colombia, conflict, crime, DDR processes, ex-combatant reintegration, peace
Introduction
Reintegrating former combatants into civilian life is of
central importance to transitions from war to peace
(Muggah, 2009; So
¨derstro
¨m, 2015; UN, 2000). Conse-
quently, disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration
(DDR) programs in numerous countries seek to facilitate
such transitions by providing training and employment
opportunities, community reconciliation programs, and
psychological support for former fighters, among other
interventions (Gilligan, Mvukiyehe & Samii, 2013;
Humphreys & Weinstein, 2007). With such assistance,
many former combatants integrate into civilian life in
good standing with the state.
Yet, other ex-combatants do not complete such a
transition, and instead use their experience and skills as
wartime specialists in violence to illicit ends. While rein-
tegration ‘failure’ is often conceived of as remilitarization
(Daly, 2016; Themner, 2015), there is growing concern
about another possible manifestation: crime. Crime is
distinct from remilitarization in that it encompasses any
actions deemed illegal by the state, not just a return to
armed conflict. Investigating the factors that drive ex-
combatants into crime is critical to understanding
Corresponding author:
lpaler@pitt.edu
Journal of Peace Research
2020, Vol. 57(4) 536–550
ªThe Author(s) 2020
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DOI: 10.1177/0022343319897098
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