Vindictive Behavior in Children - Signs and Implications

– At home spiteful or vindictive behaviour may include purposefully breaking or damaging the property or belongings of other family members, stealing from other family members, or physically harming other family members. To be considered vindictive, these behaviours need to be the child’s response to an earlier incident where they feel that they were wronged or harmed.

– At school spiteful or vindictive behaviour may include stealing another child’s property, purposely destroying their work, or physically hurting another child. To be vindictive, these behaviours need to be as a result of the child feeling that they were earlier harmed or wronged by that individual.

– Elsewhere, a child may act in a spiteful or vindictive manner by purposely hurting another child in a sporting game, stealing from stores and businesses, or vandalising the property of neighbours or other public people or businesses.

Note: Vindictiveness is defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary as “having or showing a wish to harm someone because you think that they harmed you”. Please note that vindictive behaviour is behaviour that is often premeditated and planned, and is often accompanied by a sense of satisfaction and pleasure.