This book examines whether differences in the organizational structure of armed groups shape patterns of human rights violations in civil wars. Since the end of World War II, civil wars have been characterized by extremely high numbers of civilian casualties. However, the exact extent of civilian suffering varies across time, conflict, and geographic region. Recently, a new strand of research has emerged, primarily focused on studying the dynamics underlying the variation in civilian abuse by examining the characteristics of the armed groups and how these characteristics influence the armed gro.

Principal-agent theory and armed groups --The problem of adverse selection -- The problem of moral hazard -- Web survey design -- Armed group analyses and results -- Quantitative interviews with combatants -- Combatant analyses and results -- Conclusion and discussion.