Since the second world war, most nations have prepared for further armed inter-state conflicts. Although this being useful, most nations have not succeeded in preparing for other types of conflicts, insurgencies being one of them. The current means and measures of best countering an insurgency have not yet been identified and the ones being used are met with hard criticism. Therefore, more theories need to be studied. The aim of this thesis is to examine the explanatory power of Jaqueline Hazelton’s ”Coercion-theory” by applying it on two cases of counterinsurgency conflicts. The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the current discussion regarding a state actors’ choice of methods within counterinsurgency. Despite the theory´s broad variables, this paper concludes that the ”Coercion-theory” is unable to explain the outcome of the second Lebanese war from 2006 and operation Cast Lead from 2008. This thesis can also be used to further underline the need for new tools for decision-makers when faced with an insurgency.

Denna studie undersökte varför vissa ungdomar både rapporterar höganivåer av kriminalitet och självskadebeteende samt hur detta hängerihop med att utsätta andra för aggressiva handlingar och att själv bliutsatt för aggressivitet av andra. Som teoretisk utgångspunkt användescoercion-teorin som förklarar varför vissa barn och ungdomar både ärutsatta för andras aggressioner och utsätter andra för aggressionerutanför hemmet. Studien grundas på data som bestod av självrapporterfrån en longitudinell studie vid namn Sju skolor. Studien genomfördesi en mellanstor svensk stad. Totalt deltog 1482 ungdomar varav 52procent var män. Resultaten visade att det fanns en grupp ungdomarsom rapporterade höga nivåer av både kriminalitet ochsjälvskadebeteende. Utmärkande för denna grupp var att de bådeutsatte andra för aggressiva handlingar samtidigt som de själv blevutsatta för andras aggressivitet. Denna kunskap kan användas av olikamyndigheter vid förebyggande insatser för ungdomar som harproblem med kriminalitet och självskadebeteende. / This study examined the association between delinquent behaviorsand self-harm in adolescents, and how mutual hostility interactbetween exposing others and being exposed. Data was based on selfrapportsin a longitudinal study called Seven schools and wereperformed in a medium sized city in Sweden. The study including1482 participants, among them 52 percent were males. The resultshowed that those adolescents who reported high levels of delinquentbehavior and high levels of self-harm were both exposed and exposesothers to hostility. Coercion theory was used to explain the mutualhostility.

There is a discrepancy in the contemporary debate on how to implement counterinsurgency successfully. The population-centric method appears to be more advocated. To widen the debate, it is of interest to examine the explanatory power in the opposite method: enemy-centric counterinsurgency. Jacquline Hazelton questions the population-centric methods and believes that the use of brute force is more successful.  The study was conducted as a case study with a theory-testing approach, to examine to what extent her theory could explain the outcomes of the Russian counterinsurgency operations in the two Chechen wars. The results show that her theory has a very limited ability to explain these outcomes, due to its high presence in both cases, which weakens her theory. Based on the results and part of the purpose of this essay, it is arguable that it to some extent also weakens the whole enemy-centric method. To be able to draw further conclusions about this, additional studies are required.

No description available.