About the project
Judging whether or not to intervene when violent aggressors harm civilians in an armed conflict can be extraordinarily difficult. For international soldiers, dilemmas often arise when they witness physical aggression. Even in wars, not all violence is equally dramatic or involves the same risks to life. Furthermore, operational realities force international soldiers to rank the incidents of violence and the multiple tasks they are faced with. They must choose to confront some forms of violence while ignoring others.
Civilians and organizations alike expect that soldiers sent to protect civilians will act as forceful shields between perpetrators and those they harm. Yet, we know that international soldiers rarely use force to stop the violence they encounter, even when authorized to do so under mandates that prescribe the protection of civilians.
Objectives
The purpose of this research project was to understand how soldiers react and respond to violence against civilians. This was done by exploring how military officers interpret and classify the violence they have seen, where they believe the lines between civil and military responses should be drawn, and how they justify their responses to the violence they witness.
Method
The project was qualitative and based on interviews of Norwegian officers who have served in international operations.
Result
Sine Vorland Holen defended her PhD in 2024.