In social-evolution terminology, spite describes an action that imposes a fitness cost on both the actor and the recipient. Its direct payoff is therefore (−, −), unlike altruism, which costs the actor but benefits the recipient, or mutualism, which benefits both. Spite can evolve only under restricted conditions because an allele that simply harms its bearer should be eliminated. Indirect fitness can make such behavior favorable when harm is directed preferentially toward individuals less related than the population average and thereby benefits the actor’s relatives through reduced competitio
Ref:
Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems, Begon et al., 5th Ed., Ch. 8-13