| Forgiveness has been recognized as a coping response to deal with and overcome stress following an interpersonal transgression and is related to positive psychological, emotional, and relational outcomes. Unfortunately, understanding the process of forgiveness among youth is limited. The aim of the current study was to further the developmental understanding and use of forgiveness among early adolescents within a specific, developmentally appropriate context, peer relations. 777 sixth- through eighth-grade students answered questions pertaining to their feelings, behaviors, and thoughts toward a peer that hurt them, their socioemotional adjustment, general coping styles, and lastly, provided a definition of forgiveness. Findings from correlational analysis provide evidence that forgiveness corresponds with other general coping responses for early adolescents and is associated with positive socioemotional adjustment. In addition, early adolescents generally conceptualized forgiveness as externally influenced and expressed as external changes in behaviors. Lastly, increased complexity in youth's conceptualization of forgiveness was related to increased reported state forgiveness. The current study provides the first empirical evidence of early adolescents' use and understanding of forgiveness in response to a specific, personal peer transgression. Results are discussed with regard to developmental understanding of forgiveness and implications for intervention. |
