Relations Between Intimate Partner Violence and Forgiveness Among College Women

Authors

M. Meghan Davidson, University of Nebraska–LincolnFollow
Nicole M Lozano, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Brian P. Cole, Seton Hall UniversityFollow
Sarah Gervais, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2015

Citation

Published in Journal of Interpersonal Violence 30:18 (2015), pp. 3217–3243. doi 10.1177/0886260514555008

Comments

Copyright © 2014 M. Meghan Davidson, Nicole M. Lozano, Brian P. Cole, and Sarah J. Gervais; published by SAGE Publications. Used by permission.

Abstract

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine forgiveness and intimate partner violence (IPV) among college women. Undergraduate women (N = 502) participated in an online study in which overall experiences of IPV, as well as experiences of psychological and physical IPV, were investigated with respect to transgression-specific and dispositional forgiveness. Simultaneous multivariate regressions revealed that (a) the experience of IPV was associated with higher levels of avoidance and revenge, and lower levels of benevolence, forgiveness of self, forgiveness of others, and forgiveness of uncontrollable situations; (b) types of IPV demonstrated differing impacts on forgiveness; and (c) the mere experience of IPV is more salient than its frequency.