Forgiveness as a character strength: Toward a developmental model and research agenda

ABSTRACT

Forgiveness involves a shift from negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to positive ones after a transgression. Previous research supports the benefits of forgiving, particularly for physical and emotional health. However, debates within the character development literatures exist regarding whether forgiveness is a strength that benefits all parties involved in the transgression. For example, forgiveness is often linked to pardoning, condoning, or justifying bad behavior and forswearing justice. Nietzsche regarded forgiveness as a weakness, and as an undesirable attribute or vice; Gandhi, however, believed forgiveness reflected good moral character and virtuous behavior. I propose a relational developmental systems (RDS)-based model of forgiveness as a character strength that benefits both individuals and contexts following a transgression. I situate forgiveness within RDS metatheory and character development and assess forgiveness across two contexts: school bullying and criminal behavior. Implications for research, education, and intervention promoting adaptive social relationships and thriving are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Forgiveness
• character development
• character strengths
• school bullying
• restorative justice
• social justice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the John Templeton Foundation [52272]; and by the “Self, Virtue, and Public Life Project” funded by the Templeton Religion Trust through the Institute for the Study of Human Flourishing at the University of Oklahoma [102931-00001:PR0308].

Notes on contributors

Jonathan M. Tirrell

Jonathan M. Tirrell, Ph.D., is a Research Assistant Professor at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University. Dr. Tirrell’s research interests include moral and character development, with a particular focus on forgiveness and its relation to individual and communal well-being and justice. He works on the Compassion International Study of Positive Youth Development, a longitudinal, multi-nation, multi-method evaluation of the youth development programs of Compassion International that seek to promote thriving among youth living in poverty worldwide. He serves as managing editor for the Journal of Character Education, and as associate editor for character development for Applied Developmental Science.