Publication Date
Spring 2011
School
College of Arts and Sciences
Major
Psychology: Human Services Counseling; Psychology: Clinical/Experimental
Primary Subject Area
Psychology, Behavioral; Psychology, General
Recommended Citation
Spratto, Elisabeth Marie, "Seventy Times Seven: Forgiveness as a Moderator in the Relationship between Anger and Violent Crime" (2011). Senior Honors Theses. 248.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/248
Abstract
Forgiveness is an important quality for the maintenance of successful relationships, and it also has physical and emotional benefits. In contrast, anger, while sometimes positive, can also lead to aggressive or violent behavior, particularly when combined with a desire for revenge. Anger has been repeatedly shown to play a significant role in the commission of crimes; what is less clear is the role forgiveness can play in that relationship. Given that forgiveness has been shown to play a role in anger dissipation, it is logical to suppose that its contribution may be considerable. This study investigated whether forgiveness played a moderating role in the anger/crime relationship. Although results were not significant, several interesting relationships among forgiveness, anger, and crime severity were observed.
