What are the common motives in blackmail stories?

One common motive is money. Just like in the story I mentioned before, a family member might see an opportunity to get some financial gain by using a secret against another. For example, if a family member knows about an inheritance that was obtained through some unethical means in the past, they could blackmail the person who received it for a share.

Well, motives in adult blackmail can be diverse. Greed is a significant one. The blackmailer sees an opportunity to make easy money from the victim's fear of exposure. There could also be a psychological motive where the blackmailer has some sort of personality disorder or just enjoys causing distress to others. In some cases, it might be related to a competitive situation, like in a business or personal rivalry, where one person tries to gain an upper hand by blackmailing the other.

Money is a primary motive. Crime lords use extortion and blackmail to amass wealth quickly. They target businesses, for example, demanding protection money, knowing that businesses often prefer to pay rather than face potential harm to their property or employees.

Financial motives can also be there. If the wife discovers that the husband has some hidden money or is involved in some financial wrongdoings, she might blackmail him to get a share of the money or to make him correct his financial behavior. For instance, she could threaten to expose his tax evasion to the authorities if he doesn't give her a certain amount of money for household needs.

Another possible motive could be jealousy. Maybe the blackmailer has some sort of personal vendetta against the mother or the men she is with. They want to cause trouble and disrupt their relationships out of spite.

One possible motive could be revenge. The student might have been bullied or unfairly treated by the teachers and sees blackmail as a way to get back at them.

Jealousy might be a motive. Maybe the coach was never as successful as the jock in his own high school days. So, he blackmails the jock to make him feel superior. He could force the jock to miss important games or not get the proper training, just out of spite.

One possible motive could be financial need. Just like in the story of Mrs. Thompson, she might be in a difficult financial situation and see blackmail as a way to get quick money. Another motive could be revenge. If an older woman has been wronged by someone in the past and she discovers a secret of that person, she might use blackmail as a form of revenge.

One possible motive could be greed. The blackmailer might think they can get money or other valuable things from the victim by using this embarrassing and false scenario.

Power imbalance is also typical. The blackmailer believes they have the upper hand due to the information they hold, which gives them power over the victim. For example, in cases where a low - level employee discovers something about a high - level executive.