The Psychosocial and Contextual Predictors of Revenge Desire and Attitudes in Crime Victims: A Scoping Review.

Criminal victimization is associated with an increased risk of violent offending, which can be motivated by revenge. Experiencing revenge desire could also be harmful for crime victims' mental health. To limit revenge's harmful effects, researchers have examined the predictors of revenge desire and attitudes. However, little is known about the predictors of revenge desire and attitudes in crime victims specifically. This scoping review aims to identify the contextual and psychosocial predictors of revenge desire and attitudes from the existing literature. Databases (PsycInfo, PsycArticles, SCOPUS, Web of Science and MEDLINE) were searched in February 2024. Papers published in English, with data pertaining to the psychosocial and contextual predictors of revenge desire and attitudes in crime victims, were included. Quantitative studies and meta-analyses were included. Qualitative studies and reviews were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using JBI's critical appraisal tools. 3689 records were screened. 10 reports, covering 14 studies, were included. A narrative review was conducted. Four categories of predictors were identified, namely 1) offence-related predictors, 2) mental health predictors, 3) criminal justice system predictors, and 4) demographic predictors. Significant predictors included PTSD symptoms, which were correlated with higher revenge desire, and participation in restorative justice, which was found to lower crime victims' desire for violent revenge in a series of randomized controlled trials. However, this review highlights the need for further research in this area. Many predictors were merely examined in a single study, so require replication. In addition, studies were largely cross-sectional, limiting conclusions about causation.