A Longitudinal Examination of Factors Legitimizing Intergroup Violence. Dynamics between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous People in Chile (2016 - 2023).

Why do people justify intergroup violence between police and indigenous people in contexts of high levels of interethnic conflict? We examine public attitudes toward violence by state police (Carabineros) against indigenous communities and violence by indigenous activists against Carabineros. We assess the roles of group identity, perceived procedural injustice by police toward non-indigenous Chileans, and acceptance of inequality in predicting the justification of violence. We present findings from a longitudinal, biannual survey conducted between 2016 and 2023 by the Center for Indigenous and Intercultural Research (CIIR), involving 1,590 participants from mirror samples of indigenous and non-indigenous Chileans. Through latent class analysis, we identify two main classes of violence justification: (1) Social Change Justification (violence by indigenous activists) is associated with strong identification with the indigenous group and perceived procedural injustice by Carabineros; (2) Social Control Justification (state violence) correlates with higher police legitimacy and acceptance of group inequality. Longitudinal tracking reveals that perceptions of fair treatment by Carabineros and rejection of interethnic inequality are linked to decreased support for all forms of violence. Shifts in support for violence are observed over time, with state violence gaining increased support towards the end of the study, coinciding with declining political support for social movements.These findings contribute to the literature on procedural justice, police legitimacy, and attitudes toward violence. Fair and respectful treatment by Carabineros, coupled with a rejection of inequality between groups, appears crucial for fostering peaceful conflict resolution and reducing support for violence in Chile's interethnic conflict context.