title: The potential of forgiveness as a response for coping with negative peer experiences.
abstract: Coping strategies employed by adolescents in response to negative peer experiences are related to their adjustment. This study examines the potential of forgiveness as a coping response for negative peer experiences in early adolescence. Participants were 616 6th through 8th grade students at a middle school (46% girls) who completed self-report measures of bullying and victimization experiences, general coping strategies in response to bullying, social anxiety, self-esteem, and a measure of forgiveness to a self-identified experience of being bullied or hurt by a peer. Forgiveness was positively associated with conflict resolution, advice and support seeking strategies, and negatively associated with revenge seeking. Forgiveness was also positively associated with concurrent self-esteem and negatively associated with social anxiety. Further, forgiveness was related to social anxiety and self-esteem after accounting for bullying behavior and victimization experiences, general coping responses, and gender. Developmental considerations of forgiveness and implications for this response are considered.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, Wheaton College, 501 College Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187, USA. Kelly.Flanagan@wheaton.edu
authors.forename: Kelly S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Flanagan
authors.forename: Kristin K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Vanden Hoek
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ranter
authors.forename: Holly A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Reich
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001007:Anxiety; D058445:Bullying; D019548:Crime Victims; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D061347:Forgiveness; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012649:Self Concept