Group Conditions and the Perpetrators of Evil: Colombian Armed Groups

Violent extremism of groups in armed conflicts is commonly affected by multiple psychological mechanisms and processes: leadership structure, tasks entrusted to each of its members, norms and sanctions, ideological indoctrination, etc. The presence of these components in extremely violent actions in the Colombian conflict was analyzed. All 18 participants (14 males and 4 females) were demobilized members of the Self-defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC) and guerrilla organizations (FARC, ELN, among others) which had participated directly or indirectly in violent actions against people and groups (which include murder, torture, and massacres). A qualitative methodology was used, specifically in-depth interviews and content analysis. This analysis showed that Colombian armed groups are made up of people with different psychological characteristics and social backgrounds (age, sex, place of residence, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, etc.), but their integration into the armed conflict and the violent actions they carried out respond to specific conditions and structure of the group they belong to rather than to personal factors. The components of the group structure, rule compliance, entrusted task performance and obedience to the orders of authority are the main reasons for the violent extremism that has characterized the activities of these people.