Hate begets hate: anti-refugee violence increases anti-refugee attitudes in Germany

How does ethnic violence affect the perpetrator group's attitudes towards the victim group? Combining the security threat and ultimate attribution error, I expect that perpetrator group members react to security threats caused by ethnic violence to form negative attitudes towards the victim group. This study tests this hypothesis using the case of ethnic violence against refugees who came to Germany during the "migrant crisis" in 2015. Results show that a higher rate of anti-refugee violence in a German state is associated with more negative attitudes towards refugees among German natives. The effect of ethnic violence is more prominent among Germans with higher concerns for security, pinpointing the threat mechanisms. A series of additional tests, including instrumental variable strategy, Bayesian analysis, and robustness checks support the conclusion. The results of this study indicate that ethnic violence induces negative attitudes among the perpetrator group towards the victim group.