Hagan’s groundbreaking research on genocide against North African communities produced theories and models that clarify its causes and motivations. His field studies showed that the number of murders during the civil war in ­Darfur, Sudan, had been significantly under­estimated by previous official data.

Four times more murder victims

Hagan’s field work led to his development of theories of genocide and war crimes. His particular focus examines how government institutions, erosion of the law and the participation of professional groups enable mass violence. In his empirical work of violence in both Darfur (2005) and the Balkans (1991–99), he demonstrated the importance of using surveys of crime victims. Analysing data collected by the American Bar Foundation and the US State Department, Hagan and his colleagues found between 200,000 and 400,000 murders in Darfur, more than four times the previous assessments. Hagan’s team also found significant evidence of racist motives for the murders and rapes, but little evidence of any strategic response to the insurgency as claimed by the Sudanese authorities. These findings were widely publicised and helped change the public understanding and discussion of the tragedy in Darfur.

Patriarchal family structures in the global north

In his studies of juvenile delinquency, Hagan linked patriarchal family structures to gender differences in juvenile delinquency. By analysing how power relations within the family affect the degree of control over sons and daughters, he contributed to the understanding of how family structures and gender roles affect young people’s propensity for criminal behaviour.