Silenced Echoes: Revenge Fantasies Toward Unjust Events in Drawings and Narratives of Indian Hindu Women

Abstract

The study explored revenge fantasies as a response to perceived injustices among Indian Hindu women amid the prevalent gender-based violence. A mixed-method design with 52 women (18–56 years) was used to collect their drawings and narratives depicting revenge fantasies, demographics, the Traumatic Events Questionnaire, and the Injustice Experiences Questionnaire. Participants highlighted non-family events with strangers as perpetrators, preferring avoidance as the common revenge fantasy. Dominant themes included gender bias, sexual violence, body shaming, and feelings of inferiority. Passive aggression/forgiveness as a drawing indicator correlated negatively with Injustice Experiences Questionnaire, offering insights into revenge fantasies toward unjust events among Hindu women.