Revenge and psychological adjustment after homicidal loss

Abstract

Feelings of revenge are a common human response to being hurt by others. Among crime victims of severe sexual or physical violence, significant correlations have been reported between revenge and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Homicide is one of the most severe forms of interpersonal violence. It is therefore likely that individuals bereaved by homicide experience high levels of revenge, which may hamper efforts to cope with traumatic loss. The relationship between revenge and psychological adjustment following homicidal loss has not yet been empirically examined. In the current cross-sectional study, we used self-report data from 331 spouses, family members and friends of homicide victims to examine the relationships between dispositional revenge and situational revenge on the one hand and symptom-levels of PTSD and complicated grief, as well as indices of positive functioning, on the other hand. Furthermore, the association between revenge and socio-demographic and offense-related factors was examined. Participants were recruited from a governmental support organization, a website with information for homicidally bereaved individuals, and members of support groups. Levels of both dispositional and situational revenge were positively associated with symptoms of PTSD and complicated grief, and negatively with positive functioning. Participants reported significantly less situational revenge in cases where the perpetrator was a direct family member than cases where the perpetrator was an indirect family member, friend, or someone unknown. Homicidally bereaved individuals reported more situational revenge, but not more dispositional revenge than a sample of students who had experienced relatively mild interpersonal transgressions.

Treating complicated grief and posttraumatic stress in homicidally bereaved individuals: A randomized controlled trial

“…The data presented in this paper were collected in the context of a research program on psychopathology among close relatives of homicide victims in the Netherlands (Van Denderen, de Keijser, Gerlsma, Huisman, & Boelen, ; Van Denderen, de Keijser, Huisman, et al, ). Participants were invited to take part in a questionnaire survey and, subsequently, were offered the possibility to undergo treatment in the context of a treatment study if meeting the inclusion criteria.…”

“…Analyses in both programs gave similar results. Following previous research (Van Denderen, de Keijser, Gerlsma, et al, ; Van Denderen, de Keijser, Huisman, et al, ), scale scores were calculated for participants who answered more than 50% of the items. When the scale score was computed, the missing item responses were replaced by average scores on the observed items.…”

Repercussões do homicídio em famílias das vítimas: uma revisão da literatura

“…Psychology and psychiatry have produced most studies on the situation of individuals who have lost a loved one by homicide. Many of these studies have sought to understand and measure, from different approaches, the mental and physical impact of deaths by homicide in the lives of families, focusing mainly on traumatic reactions, from a disease model associated with the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression 7,8,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]27 .…”

“…Dalbosco 24 says that teenage family members deal with suffering with an impulse to act and take action, resulting in violent behaviors driven by the desire for revenge, quest for justice and suffering relief. Denderen et al 15 studied the families of homicide victims in the Netherlands and found that young people showed significantly more desire for retaliation against the homicide perpetrator than adults and the elderly. Based on Ehlers and Clark (2000), authors 15 argue that the desire for revenge can block the grieving process and hinder the acceptance of death, keeping them focused on the reasons for the loss and punishment deserved by the murderer.…”

“…Denderen et al 15 studied the families of homicide victims in the Netherlands and found that young people showed significantly more desire for retaliation against the homicide perpetrator than adults and the elderly. Based on Ehlers and Clark (2000), authors 15 argue that the desire for revenge can block the grieving process and hinder the acceptance of death, keeping them focused on the reasons for the loss and punishment deserved by the murderer. This personal approach contributes to the development of a climate of constant tension in the household.…”