Injustice and Violence: a Test of the Revenge Model

Adolescent violent behavior is often explained through direct relationships between variables rather than the underlying process. However, research has found a correlation between injustice and aggression, although studies tend to focus solely on this link and fail to explain how violent behavior is developed in adolescents. To explore this relationship further, we conducted a study testing two hypotheses: firstly, that injustice leads to revengeful behavior, and secondly, that frustration and aggression mediate between injustice and revenge. We gathered data from 444 participants in study 1 to validate scales and used convenient sampling to select 427 university undergraduates for study 2 to test the revenge model. Our findings suggest that injustice fuels frustration and aggression, increasing the tendency towards revengeful behavior. Consequently, communities with a prevalence of injustice may foster aggression and violent tendencies in adolescents. This research has practical implications for organizations and institutions, providing insights to help develop interventions that steer young people toward positive pursuits.