Forgiveness in Children Placed in Children's Homes: Understanding, Process and Motivation for Forgiveness

ABSTRACT

Children placed in children's homes encounter negative experiences in the form of abuse from caregivers, interpersonal conflicts with peers and victimizations from community members. How these children negotiate forgiveness of these negative experiences is unknown due to limited studies on the subject. The present study explored the nature of negative experiences reported by children in residential care, their understanding of forgiveness, as well as the process and motivations for extending forgiveness. Participants were 10 children in residential care, aged between 9 and 18 years, resident in two Children's Homes in Accra. Results from these interviews show that while participants have cordial relationships with their peers and caregivers, they experience daily relational problems in the form of insults, bullying, being lied about, teasing and denial of gift items. Their knowledge of the meaning of forgiveness is largely different from all the three existing conceptualizations of the concept, and is influenced by religious, contextual factors in their relationships and the perceived benefits of forgiveness. Forgiveness process involved deferral to God, educating or confronting the offender on the impact of their behavior and reporting the offender to an authority. Implications of the findings are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Children in residential care
• children’s homes
• negative experiences
• forgiveness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 “Moving with people” as used here mean “being close to other people” or “having a cordial relationship with other people”.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Templeton World Charity Foundation through “Can Forgiveness Be Strengthened in West and South Africa?” (TWCF0101/AB66).

Notes on contributors

Joana Salifu Yendork

Joana Salifu Yendork, Ph.D., is a Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, University of Ghana. She obtained her Ph.D. in Psychology from Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Her research interests focus broadly on the wellbeing of vulnerable children and adolescents and positive psychology. She has published widely on vulnerable children and adolescents, religion and positive psychology.

Selina Owusu Boadu

Selina Owusu Boadu, MPhil., is a Clinical Psychologist at the Child Health Unit of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana. She obtained an M.Phil. in clinical psychology from the University of Ghana. She has engaged in several research works with children and has published on children.

Margaret Amankwah-Poku

Margaret Amankwah-Poku, Ph.D., is a Lecturer in psychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Ghana teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses. She also supervises undergraduate research project, Masters Dissertations and Ph.D. theses work. She has an M.Phi.l in Clinical Psychology from the University of Ghana and a Ph.D. in Health Psychology from the University of Birmingham, UK. She has practical experience in clinical practice, counselling and research. She has research interest in the Psychosocial aspect of physical health, focusing on Diabetes care; Attitude and attitude change for good health care and mental health issue.

Annabella Osei-Tutu

Annabella Osei-Tutu, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra. She is licensed to practice as a counseling psychologist in Ghana. Her research interest lies in the intersections of psychology and culture, particularly focusing on mental health and well-being within West African settings. She has published on a variety of issues relating to forgiveness, conceptions of mental illness, and cultural scripting of emotions in Ghana.