Citation

Orth U, Montada L, Maercker A. J. Interpers. Violence 2006; 21(2): 229-243.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Berne, Switzerland. ulrich.orth@psy.unibe.ch

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0886260505282286

PMID

16368763

Abstract

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are often said to experience strong feelings of revenge. However, there is a need for confirmatory empirical studies. Therefore, in a study of 174 victims of violent crimes, the relation between feelings of revenge and posttraumatic stress reactions was investigated. Feelings of revenge were correlated with intrusion and hyperarousal but not with avoidance. Feelings of revenge explained incremental variance of intrusion and hyperarousal when the variance explained by victimological variables was controlled. The retaliation motive implied in feelings of revenge did not account for the relation between feelings of revenge and posttraumatic stress reactions. However, the relation was moderated by the time since victimization. Therefore, feelings of revenge must presumably be regarded as a maladaptive coping reaction to experienced injustice, but not in the first period after victimization.

Language: en