ABSTRACT
Collective violence is characterized by orchestrated, coordinated, and sustained violent acts that are perpetrated by one group of people against another, such as nations, military groups, ethnic and religious groups, terrorist organizations, and even smaller groups such as gangs. This chapter discusses collective violence as a systematically orchestrated act that is led by influential in-group sources, such as leaders, against clearly defined enemies. Social identity theory began and was conceived as a theory of intergroup relations to explain conflict and cooperation between groups. Social identity theory explicates why people join groups and the meaning of social categories to individuals who identify with them. Leaders are a source of in-group influence and a galvanizing force within groups. A similar identity trap is the tendency of groups to view themselves as the sole victims in conflict and the other group as the sole perpetrator.
