Collective punishment is a form of retaliation whereby a suspected perpetrator's family members, friends, acquaintances, sect, class, political affiliation, neighbors or entire ethnic group is targeted. The punished group may often have no direct association with the other individuals or groups, or direct control over their actions. In times of war and armed conflict, collective punishment has resulted in atrocities, and is a violation of the laws of war and the Geneva Conventions. Historically, occupying powers have used collective punishment to retaliate against and deter attacks on their forces by resistance movements (such as destroying entire towns and villages which were believed to have harboured or aided such resistance movements).