Violent fantasy

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A violent fantasy is a special form of fantasy (an image or thoughts in general) about the deliberate and targeted damage, injury or killing of other people or animals . Killing fantasies can be viewed as a special form of violent fantasies. Violent fantasies are often discussed as a risk factor in connection with targeted violence, such as school shootings . Violent fantasies with sexual content must also be distinguished.

distribution

Overall, there are only a few isolated research findings on the spread of violent fantasies. In a study by Nagtegaal (2006) on a non-clinical sample, the prevalence of one-off aggressive fantasies in the course of life is quite high at 58%, with 33% of participants reporting recurring violent fantasies. The prevalence of violent fantasies is also increased in patients in psychiatric facilities (Grisso et al., 2000) and in prison inmates (Meloy et al., 2001). Usually only physical aggression is measured. It is to be expected that the frequency of fantasies about social aggression (e.g., imagining saying badly about someone) is much higher. In children, fantasies of violence are more likely to be expressed in play behavior (pretend play).

Killing fantasies in particular appear to have a high prevalence. According to this, in a study by Kenrick and Sheets (1993), 68% of the surveyed students in the USA stated that they had already had the serious idea of ​​killing another person at some point in their life. The prevalence in men (73%) was slightly higher than in women (66%). In a comparable study, Crabb (2000) found a prevalence of 45.5% of the participants. This makes it clear that on the one hand killing fantasies are apparently very widespread and do not necessarily represent a sharper form of violence fantasies. Overall, however, it must be taken into account that there is a wide range in the intensity and duration of such violent fantasies.

Creation of violent fantasies

Creation of aggressive scripts

Violent fantasies assume that aggression and violence are available as a so-called cognitive script. In this context, media influences are particularly important for the formation and maintenance of violent fantasies.

In addition to media influences, however, early socialization experiences also play a role. Accordingly, children with behavioral problems also show violent fantasy play more often. This mainly affects children with less self-control .

trigger

Violent fantasies seem to arise particularly frequently as a result of social interactions that are experienced as threatening. In the study by Kenrick and Sheets (1993), for example, almost 60% of the participants with violent fantasies stated that a threatening event or humiliation were the trigger. The fantasies are most often directed against the life partner or against the boss or work colleague. A perceived loss of control in relation to the social environment seems to be particularly decisive. Violent fantasies represent a possibility to feel control through the anticipation of future acts of violence (in advance). Furthermore, fantasies of violence convey a feeling of control simply by mentally acting out a behavioral possibility and therefore reduce the feeling of stress (cf. Averill, 1973).

In psychoanalytic approaches, violent fantasies are often associated with a Carthartic effect. It is assumed that violent fantasies are a (maladaptive) way of dealing with aggressive impulses. The research results show, however, that violent fantasies tend to increase future aggressive behavior and therefore cannot be referred to as an aggression-reducing, Carthartic effect. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that fantasies of violence enable the feeling of power and control and are thus maintained.

literature

  • A. Beelmann & T. Raabe (2007). Dissocial behavior in children and adolescents: manifestations, development, prevention and intervention. Göttingen: Hogrefe.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Grisso, T., Davis, J., Vesselinov, R. & Appelbaum, PS (2000). Violent thoughts and violent behavior following hospitalization for mental disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 388-398.
  2. ↑ Meloy, JR, Hempel, AG, Mohandie, K., Shiva, AA & Gray, T. (2001). Offender and offense characteristics of a nonrandom sample of adolescent mass murders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry , 40, 719-728.
  3. ^ Schaefer, CE & Harrison, WA (2004). The effects of violent fantasy on children's aggressive behavior. Psychology and Education: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 41, 35-41.
  4. ↑ a b Kenrick, DT & Sheets, V. (1993). Homicidal fantasies. Ethology and Sociobiology, 14, 231-246.
  5. ↑ Viermerö, V. & Paajanen, S. (1992). The role of fantasies and dreams in the TV viewing-aggression relationship. Aggressive Behavior, 18, 109-116.
  6. ^ Dunn, J. & Hughes, C. (2001). I got some swords and you are dead !: Violent fantasy, antisocial behavior, friendship, and moral sensibility in young children. Child Development, 72, 491-505
  7. ↑ Averill, JR (1973). Personal control over aversive stimuli and its relationship to stress. Psychological Bulletin, 80, 286-303
  8. ^ Feshbach, S. (1953). The drive-reducing function of fantasy behavior. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 50, 3-11.