Revenge and forgiveness after victimization: psychometric evaluation of a Dutch version of the TRIM intended for victims and offenders

Abstract

The Transgression Related Interpersonal Motivations (TRIM) scale measures revenge, avoidance, and benevolence in response to social transgressions that, typically, comprise acts of indirect aggression. We tailored the TRIM for use in forensic psychiatric and victimological settings by slightly altering the instruction to include transgressions that comprise direct as well as indirect aggression. In this study, we examined the factor structure and psychometric qualities of this adapted Dutch version of the TRIM. Data was collected in adolescents from three different educational levels (N = 455) and in (ex)detainees (N = 65). Three unambiguous and internally consistent factors corroborated a priori conceptualizations. Associations with social desirability, dispositional anger, dispositional vengeance, accomplished revenge, and accomplished forgiveness supported construct validity. Mean scores from (ex)detainees did not differ from the student participants, although the former reported more incidents of physical and sexual violence. Hence, the TRIM appears useful as an aid in risk assessment of known offenders, threat assessment of as yet unknown offenders, and efforts to support victims of violence.