Towards the Incorporation of Forgiveness Therapy in Healing the Complex Trauma of Parental Incarceration

Abstract

This paper explores the potential contribution of forgiveness therapy to the treatment of minor children who have experienced the adversities associated with parental incarceration. Theoretical perspectives on the imprisonment of parents and on forgiveness, and a survey of existing forgiveness therapy (FT) models points to the utility of this therapeutic modality. DiBlasio's family based conjoint model of forgiveness therapy is delineated and case illustrations of its application with children of incarcerated parents are presented. The possibility of forgiveness therapy facilitating successful family reentry is discussed, along with important limitations and contraindications of FT with youngsters whose parents are involved in the criminal justice system. Implications of forgiveness therapy for the field of practice of child and adolescent social work are considered.

Children of incarcerated parents: Insights to addressing a growing public health concern in Australia

“…However, the early intervention program was the only initiative that actively engaged caregivers and children, allowing internalizing coping behaviors. Useful insights into addressing these issues may be gleaned through Landers work in Forgiveness Therapy (Lander, 2012). In addition, issues associated with children taking on additional responsibilities that may negatively impact upon them emotionally or their school work are also likely to be better addressed through the more comprehensive program outlined by Phillips and O'Brien (2012).…”

Escala de Perdão Conjugal (mofs): evidências de validade de construto no contexto brasileiro

“…Entende-se que a orientação cultural das pessoas pode variar de uma a outra região no Brasil (Gouveia, Albuquerque, Clemente, & Espinosa, 2002;Hofstede, Hofsted, & Minkov, 2010), podendo ter impacto na forma como elas lidam com o perdão, sobretudo no âmbito da relação conjugal. Recomenda-se, ainda, a verificação de evidências de validade convergente da MOFS com outros instrumentos que mensurem o perdão (e.g., Enright & Rique, 2001), e em que medida suas pontuações podem explicar (validade concorrente ou preditiva) na realidade brasileira construtos com os quais se espera que estejam associadas, como o bemestar psicológico (Hill & Allemand, 2011), a satisfação conjugal (Bugay, 2014) e a estabilidade emocional (Lander, 2012).…”

“…O perdão se constitui, pois, como uma resposta possível às consequências negativas de transgressões (Worthington, 2005), sendo este ato benéfico aos seguintes domínios de quem o pratica: (a) bemestar psicológico (Allemand, Steiner, & Hill, 2013;Hill & Allemand, 2011;Karremans, Van Lange, Ouwerkerk, & Kluwer, 2003); (b) manutenção de relações positivas (Fingerman & Charles, 2010); (c) saúde física e mental (Calo-Blanco, 2014;Harper et al, 2014;Karairmak & Güloğlu, 2014;May, Sanchez-Gonzalez, Hawkins, Batchelor, & Fincham, 2014); e (d) estabilidade emocional e afabilidade (Hoyt, Fincham, McCullough, Maio, & Davila, 2005;Lander, 2012). O reconhecimento de tais benefícios tendem a motivar as vítimas de transgressões a concederem com mais facilidade a remissão ao seu ofensor (Younger, Piferi, Jobe, & Lawler, 2004).…”

Marital Forgiveness: An Explanation Based on Human Values

“…Fincham, Hall, and Beach (2006) indicate that forgiveness is an excellent strategy for maintaining a marital relationship because it helps reduce the impact of negative perceptions of the other and enhances confl ict resolution and the stability of the marriage. However, although forgiveness has long been recognized as very important for the conservation of relationships, only in recent years has it caught the attention of researchers (Lin et al, 2014;Peets, Hodges, & Salmivalli, 2013;Strelan, McKee, Claic, Cook, & Shaw, 2013) as a result of the benefi ts that derive from the act of forgiveness, such as well-being (Allemand, Steiner, & Hill, 2013), mental and physical health (Calo-Blanco, 2014), emotional stability (Lander, 2012), and marital satisfaction (Witvliet, 2001).…”