Forgiveness: Moving on can be healthy

The Association Between Parent and Child ACEs is Buffered by Forgiveness of Others and Self-Forgiveness

The purpose of the present study was to examine intergenerational transmission of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) from parents to children and examine the buffering influence of forgiveness of oneself and others. Participants were 150 parents and children enrolled in Head Start in an upper midwestern, rural state who volunteered to complete questionnaires measuring ACEs and levels of forgiveness of oneself and others. Multiple correlation and regression were used to examine the associations between parent-reported parent and child ACEs and self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others. Analyses revealed that parental ACEs and child ACEs were positively correlated. Parents with low and medium levels of self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others had a stronger positive correlation between their own experience of ACEs and their child's, whereas, for parents with high levels of self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others, the correlation between parent and child ACEs was reduced statistically to zero. The cycle of intergenerational transmission of ACEs may be interrupted, or at very least notably buffered, by forgiving oneself and others.

Childhood Loss Experiences, Religiousness/Spirituality, and Hope as Predictors of Adult Life Satisfaction

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore how adaptive patterns of religiousness/spirituality and hope predict adult life satisfaction in adults, even if they had childhood loss experiences.Design and Methods Using a cross-sectional survey design with132 adult participants (mean age 33.8 ± 15.2, 82% female, 78% Caucasian) we estimated two hierarchical regression models to examine how dimensions of religiousness/spirituality (Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality) and hope (Herth Hope Index) predicted adult life satisfaction (Satisfaction with Life Scale) after controlling for effects of adverse childhood experiences (Adverse Childhood Experiences Study Questionnaire) or chronic sorrow from childhood loss (Kendall Chronic Sorrow Instrument).Results When effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) were controlled, higher levels of hope (β = .416, p < .001) and forgiveness (β = .273, p = .023) and lower levels of religious/spiritual values/beliefs (β = -.298, p = .014) predicted higher levels of adult life satisfaction. ACE remained a significant predictor of adult life satisfaction in the final model. When controlling for effects of chronic sorrow, higher life satisfaction was predicted only by forgiveness (β = .379, p = .003), values/beliefs (β = -.354, p = .007), and hope (β = .357, p < .001), with chronic sorrow not a significant predictor of adult life satisfaction in the final model.Conclusion: Greater life satisfaction for adult survivors of childhood loss experiences could be promoted by interventions to enhance hope and foster forgiveness. These adult survivors may also need support as they engage with religious/spiritual struggle to reconcile their values and beliefs with childhood loss.