Vengeance unveiled: identifying the psychosocial predictors of revenge desire in crime victims

Even if we would never act on it, many of us have felt the urge to get back at someone who hurt us. Revenge stories have captivated us in films like Gladiator and series such as Game of Thrones. This fascination stretches back centuries, from ancient Greek plays to Shakespeare. Evolutionary psychologists suggest that humans have sought revenge for over 10,000 years. But what drives this desire, and why are we so captivated by revenge? My research aims to answer these questions using psychology. My research could benefit society. Understanding what motivates and inhibits revenge can help us intervene to prevent violence. Revenge exists in over 90% of societies (Jackson et al., 2019), and it plays a role in violent crime and terrorism, including 42% of New York murders and 27% of U.S. bombings (Jackson et al., 2019). Research like mine can help to shape violence-prevention initiatives. During my PhD, I found that feelings of humiliation triggered revenge desire. This was an important finding, as psychologists used to think that revenge was mainly triggered by anger. This led me to conclude that anti-violence programmes should focus on lowering humiliation and boosting people’s self-worth to prevent violent revenge. But revenge research can do more than just prevent violence.
Many of us see revenge as simply immoral and evil. However, my research shows that revenge is complex. It can lead to violence, but it can also serve as a coping mechanism. My thesis found that people, especially crime victims, often fantasize about revenge to regain a sense of control or strength after being wronged. While such fantasies may offer short-term comfort, if they persist, they can become harmful. My research has linked long-lasting revenge fantasies to insomnia, anxiety, and depression in crime victims. How victims are treated by the justice system can also influence their revenge desires. My thesis showed that if victims feel disrespected by police, or lose trust in the legal system, they are more likely to fixate on revenge. My findings suggest that victim-friendly justice reforms could reduce crime victims’ revenge desire and support their mental health.
This fellowship has four goals:

Collect new data to explore how victims’ experiences with police and courts affect revenge desire, enabling better policy recommendations and a new publication.
Increase academic and clinical impact by publishing findings from my PhD on how shame influences revenge and mental health.
Communicate my research to the public and victim support organizations, highlighting how revenge fantasies affect mental health and the need to destigmatize them so victims can seek help.
Develop and present policy recommendations to government bodies and crime-prevention organizations (e.g., contributing to the Department of Justice’s NI Victims and Witness Strategy 2025–30).

I will share findings with academic audiences (via conferences and seminars), the public (via podcasts, blogs, and talks), and key organizations (via meetings and reports).