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Negative Interpersonal Interactions and Dating Abuse Perpetration: The Mediating Role of Dispositional Forgivingness

Rachel C. Garthe, Brandon J. Griffin, Everett L. Worthington, Jr., Elizabeth A. Goncy, Terri N. Sullivan, Jennifer A. Coleman, Don E. Davis, Charlotte O. Kwakye-Nuako, Thapelo Mokushane, Solomon Makola, Nkansah Anakwah
All your life you’re told forgiveness is for you. But we’re never told why it’s for you. It means you’re working on owning your life.
Shani Tran
Therapist and Founder, The Shani Project
Forgiveness is nothing less than the way we heal the world. We heal the world by healing each and every one of our hearts. The process is simple, but it is not easy.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Back to Resources

Negative Interpersonal Interactions and Dating Abuse Perpetration: The Mediating Role of Dispositional Forgivingness

Rachel C. Garthe, Brandon J. Griffin, Everett L. Worthington, Jr., Elizabeth A. Goncy, Terri N. Sullivan, Jennifer A. Coleman, Don E. Davis, Charlotte O. Kwakye-Nuako, Thapelo Mokushane, Solomon Makola, Nkansah Anakwah

Theory and research suggest that an individual’s negative interactions with his or her parents or romantic partner are associated with the perpetration of dating abuse. Research is beginning to explore the role of forgivingness within abusive romantic relationships, and these preliminary findings suggest that dispositional forgivingness might mediate the relations between negative interpersonal interactions and dating abuse. The current study assessed negative interactions with one’s parents and one’s romantic partner, the frequency of dating abuse perpetration, and dispositional forgivingness of others and oneself among a sample of emerging adults in college (n = 421). Dispositional forgivingness of others was negatively associated with the perpetration of emotional/verbal dating abuse and threatening behaviors, and it mediated relations between negative interpersonal interactions and dating abuse perpetration. Our findings suggest that the tendency to forgive others may explain why some individuals who experience negative interpersonal interactions with parents or romantic partners do not escalate to perpetration of abuse within their romantic relationships. Implications for future research and application are discussed.

Research
North America
Mental Health Professionals
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