Patterns, meanings and mindsets of revenge v.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The experience of revenge: A grounded theory study of the patterns, meanings and mindsets of mentally disordered offenders.
IRAS ID
123211
Contact name
Lynsey Gozna
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 31 days
Research summary
What are the patterns, meanings and mindsets of adult mentally disordered offenders during the experience of perceived victimisation and revenge?
The response of individuals to real or perceived victimisation can range from avoidance and forgiveness through to seeking revenge. One of the more common motives for interpersonal criminal activity, revenge motivated acts are influenced by individual differences including personality. However psychological responses following the perceived wrong-doing require investigation to understand the progression of such acts of harm. The Criminal Justice System largely neglects perpetrators who may consider themselves victims and their own criminality to have been motivated by revenge. The experiences of offenders with diagnosed personality disorders are often characterised by challenges in relationships and interpersonal interactions and this could have implications for revenge. Understanding the experience of perceived victimisation and associated revenge motivated actions in this patient group has implications for the field of forensic mental health, particularly clinical formulation, treatment intervention, risk assessment and public protection. The proposed research seeks to explore and understand the patterns, meanings and mindsets of mentally disordered offenders considering victimisation, revenge and associated criminality. Eligible participants will be in-patients at a Male Mental Illness or Personality Disorder Service at a specialist medium secure forensic mental health unit. A patient-centred approach adopting in-depth qualitative interviews using a ‘Grounded Theory’ methodology will enable theory generation in regard of the patient experience of revenge. Participants will be interviewed by the Co-Investigator over 1-2 sessions of up to 45 minutes duration. The process from the initial approach to participants to the dissemination of findings will take 9-12 months. The outcome of the research will be to develop a theoretical and practice focused model of the experience of revenge oriented acts in the context of personality disorder which will be applicable to secure and community forensic settings.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/WM/0291
Date of REC Opinion
8 Jul 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion