The desire to seek revenge for real or perceived injuries is older than humankind. This article reviews the roots of vengeance as a primary motivator of human behavior in the context of social development, with a special emphasis on the role of child maltreatment. This review ranges from historical and literary examples to modern research on normal, clinical, delinquent and criminal populations. Implications of understanding revenge for treatment and for social policy are discussed.
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Sandra L. Bloom (2001) studied this question.
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