Roots of Behaviour in War, The

Intended to challenge pre-conceived ideas about the factors that influence the behaviour of combatants, this study examines the various strategies that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) pursues, especially in the area of communication, to ensure that international humanitarian law (IHL) is better known, accepted and respected.

The surveys undertaken in the framework of the Roots of Behaviour in War study recorded opinions of both civilians and combatants living in war-torn countries. The study addressed two main questions:

1. What are the key factors which influence the behaviour of bearers of weapons so that they respect or violate IHL in any given situation?
2. Do prevention strategies drawn up by the ICRC take due account of the answers given to the foregoing question?

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