The reflection of desire for revenge and revenge fantasies in drawings and narratives of sexually abused children

Abstract

Whereas the desire for revenge for an unjust deed is considered natural, its use within the therapeutic setting is scarce, specifically in sexually victimized children. The study aimed to find how experiencing sexual molestation during childhood and the revenge fantasy is reflected in drawings and narratives of sexually victimized children. Following ethical approval and signing a consent form, 14 children who experienced sexual abuse and were psychologically treated (ages 11–18) were recruited. They were asked to draw two drawings: “draw an unjust event that had happened to you” and “draw what you would have liked to happen to the person that unjustly treated you.” At completion, participants were asked to give a narrative to each drawing. Phenomenological analysis of the drawings and narratives indicated that most participants refrained from using more than two colours, did not draw the perpetrator and drew schematic figures. The main themes that emerged in the drawings and the narratives were feeling of loneliness, aloneness, and the desire for role reversal.

Transforming Paper into a Therapeutic Drama Stage: A Case Study of a Chinese Primary Student on the Use of Drawing in a Drama Counseling Model

“…He experienced the joy of success in defeating his opponent, a sense of competence that compensated for his frustration of being bullied by powerful and assertive peers in real school life. Studies reported the empowering benefits of the desire for revenge fantasies (see Lev-Wiesel et al, 2023), such as feeling satisfaction (see Crombag et al, 2003), reducing aggression (see Gollwitzer & Denzler, 2009), enhancing victims' feelings of empowerment (see Strelan et al, 2020;Twardawski et al, 2021) and sense of justice (see Funk et al, 2014).…”