Beyond retribution: Working through revenge fantasies with traumatized young people

This article examines one segment of trauma-specific treatment: the process of working through revenge fantasies with traumatized children and adolescents. The authors, both drama therapists, summarize theories about the etiology of the wish for revenge, examine the sociopolitical context of its occurrence, and expand upon the theory of identification with the aggressor to include the dynamic of role reversal with the perpetrator. They explore theories of affect regulation, mentalization, and creative enactment as a framework for offering suggestions for facilitating both the expression and containment of revenge fantasies in therapy. The authors offer three case examples of working through revenge fantasies within individual and group therapy modalities.