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Frederick S. Pardee
Institute for International Futures
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Perceived Mass Atrocities

Built to support analysis related to the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018, the Perceived Mass Atrocities Dataset measures reported mass atrocities across countries and years. It is part of the Pardee Institute's Diplometrics program, which builds datasets to measure international relationships that are often discussed qualitatively but are difficult to compare systematically. This dataset helps users compare the occurrence and magnitude of multiple atrocity types, including violence targeting women and LGBTQIA+ groups.

Access the dataset

Explore PMAD Data

Explore the Database

Browse the PMAD Codebook 

Browse the Codebook

Read the analysis in Journal of Peace Research

Read the Article

Dataset at a glance

Measures
Perceived mass atrocities and atrocity types
Unit of Analysis
Country-year
Geographic coverage
196 countries
Time coverage
2018-2024
Includes
Seven atrocity types, group-perpetrated violence against women and LGBTQIA+ groups, aggregate atrocity indices, and accompanying narratives
Access
Public
Related publication(s)
“Bearing Witness: Introducing the Perceived Mass Atrocities Dataset (PMAD),” Journal of Peace Research
Parent program
Diplometrics
Definitions
What is a perceived mass atrocity?
The material basis for possible influence. FBIC measures capacity, not whether a government chooses to act on that capacity in a specific case.
PMAD defines a perceived mass atrocity as violence against 25 or more civilians or otherwise defenseless people, carried out with the intent to destroy or intimidate a social, cultural, ethnic, religious, or political group. The definition includes acts by official or unofficial state forces and non-state actors that result in death, injury, or widespread property damage. It excludes acts of terrorism that do not involve the pursuit or threat of group elimination.

For the full coding definition and inclusion rules, see the PMAD codebook.

What the dataset measures

PMAD is a country-year dataset that records perceived mass atrocities and accompanying narratives. It enables users to compare the occurrence and magnitude of different atrocity types across countries and over time. The dataset includes aggregate atrocity indices as well as measures related to group-perpetrated violence against women and LGBTQIA+ groups.

How this data can be used

Many atrocity datasets focus primarily on lethal violence. PMAD supports analysis of both lethal and less-lethal violence within a single framework, helping users identify cases where a narrower focus may miss important forms of harm. The dataset can support quantitative comparison, country-level case analysis, and research on the relationship between atrocities, conflict, governance, inequality, and prevention policy.

How the data are built

Country-year framework
PMAD records atrocity measures by country and year, with accompanying narratives to support interpretation.
Atrocity categories
The dataset includes seven atrocity types, group-perpetrated violence against women and LGBTQIA+ groups, and aggregate atrocity indices.
Interpretive caution
PMAD measures perceived mass atrocities using available information and coding rules. Users should consult the codebook before comparing countries, years, or atrocity types.

Access and citation

Use PMAD to compare perceived mass atrocities across countries and years. The codebook provides the full definition, coding rules, variables, and guidance for interpretation. Citation guidance and downloadable citations are available on the Harvard Dataverse page that hosts this dataset.

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Pardee’s open tools, research, and training resources support students, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners around the world. Your gift helps keep that work accessible and strengthens the public research infrastructure behind it.

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Stay connected with Pardee

Follow Pardee research, publications, events, and tools that help people reason more clearly about possible futures.

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Help support a global community working toward a more knowable future

Pardee’s open tools, research, and training resources support students, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners around the world. Your gift helps keep that work accessible and strengthens the public research infrastructure behind it.

Give to Pardee

Stay connected with Pardee

Follow Pardee research, publications, events, and tools that help people reason more clearly about possible futures.

Subscribe

Contact us

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