From Fantasy to Retaliation: Gendered Revenge Responses and Their Implications for Violence Prevention

Abstract

The study examines how revenge fantasies are expressed through drawings and narratives, revealing how cultural norms, hierarchy, and gender expectations shape responses to injustice. This is the first study to explore gendered revenge fantasies using arts-based methods within a Buddhist collectivist context. Using a mixed-methods approach, 50 participants (aged 18–30) created drawings and narratives depicting both unjust events and their revenge fantasies. Four primary revenge strategies emerged: direct punishment, indirect punishment (by proxy), karma, and avoidance. Findings suggest that hierarchical and gendered constraints influence revenge ideation, with socially disadvantaged individuals favoring indirect strategies. At the same time, those of equal status with their perpetrators were more likely to envision direct retaliation. Women gravitated toward symbolic or emotional revenge, while men depicted direct- or proxy-based retaliation. Cultural and religious values reinforced indirect, socially sanctioned revenge, with karma-based retaliation reflecting a belief in inevitable justice. These findings suggest that indirect revenge strategies may function as emotional regulation mechanisms and could inform culturally adapted violence prevention efforts.