200
150
100
50
0
0 - 19 20 29
30 39
40 49
50 59
60 69
>70
0 - 19 20 29
VICTIMS
30 39
40 49
50 59
60 69
>70
PERPETRATORS
Figure 5: Victim and Perpetrator Analysis by Age
The majority of the victims and perpetrators of political violence are middle aged (40 and 49) which
reflects their active participation in political activity. The youths however constitute the largest
group among the perpetrators of violence. This is indicative of a common phenomenon, where
youths lead in committing acts of violence and are used as “political fodder”. With no employment,
those who have resources manipulate young people to do the dirty work for them.
Figure 6: Victim and Perpetrator Analysis by Occupation
As noted in the above graph, the majority of the victims of violence are farmers/villagers. The group
is usually vulnerable and prone to be attacked by political adversaries. The vulnerability of this group
is worsened by its economic status, which is usually very poor. On the other hand, the majority of
the perpetrators of violence are party members. It is assumed that the party members use violence
to maintain and consolidate their political hegemony.
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