Emotional forgiveness and the Big Five personality traits among adolescents : a two-wave longitudinal study in a group of juveniles

Kurzfassung/Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between emotional forgiveness (presence of positive emotions towards the offender and reduction of negative emotions towards the offender) and personality traits (agreeableness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, openness to experience and extraversion) in the perspective of a longitudinal study among juveniles referred by family courts to a probation centre or youth educational centre. This investigation included 553 juveniles between the ages of 11 and 18. Our findings indicate that agreeableness (T1) is the predictor significantly associated with emotional forgiveness (presence of positive emotions towards the offender, T2). In contrast, neuroticism (T1) was negatively associated with a reduction in negative emotions towards the perpetrator (T2). Agreeableness and neuroticism have an important role in developing forgiveness, which has practical implications in the area of intervention and parenting for juveniles referred by the courts to educational institutions. As a result, juveniles struggling with problems related to their lack of forgiveness skills and abilities may suppress anger and negative emotions. Therefore, such individuals should be systematically motivated to express their emotions in order to learn the skills to regulate and control them, but also to pay attention and take the point of view of others.