This study examined how forgiveness mediates and moderates between fathers' perceived unfair treatment (PUT) from a family of origin member and anger with the child (AWC). Eighty married fathers who have at least one child between the ages of 2 and 7 years individually completed the Opening Questionnaire, the Enright Forgiveness Inventory, the Family of Origin Hurt Scale, the Anger With the Child Scale, and the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory-II. The moderation analysis revealed that for 20 fathers who had been hurt by their own fathers and who indicated their son as between 2 and 7 years, forgiveness significantly moderated the relationship between PUT and AWC (p = .034). These results suggest an intergenerational gender effect of forgiveness between PUT and AWC.
Al-Mabuk, R.H., Enright, R.D., & Cardis, P. (1995). Forgiveness education with parentally love-deprived college students. Journal of Moral Education, 24, 427-444.
2.
Ateah, C.A. (2003). Disciplinary practices with children: Parental sources of information, attitudes, and educational needs. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 26, 89-101.
3.
Bandura, A. (1973). Aggression: A social learning analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
4.
Bandura, A., & Walters, R.H. (1959). Adolescent aggression: A study of the influence of child-training practices and family interrelationships. New York: Ronald Press.
5.
Baron, R.M., & Kenny, D.A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173-1182.
6.
Bussey, K., & Perry, D.G. (1982). Same-sex imitation: The avoidance of cross-sex models or the acceptance of same-sex models? Sex Roles, 8, 773-784.
7.
Chang, L., Schwartz, D., Dodge, K.A., & McBride-Chang, C. (2003). Harsh parenting in relation to child emotion regulation and aggression. Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 598-606.
Coyle, C.T., & Enright, R.D. (1997). Forgiveness intervention with post-abortion men . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 1042-1046.
10.
Deater-Deckard, K., & Dodge, K.A. (1997). Externalizing behavior problems and discipline revisited: Nonlinear effects and variation by culture, context, and gender . Psychological Inquiry, 8, 161-175.
11.
DiBlasio, F.A. (1998). The use of a decision-based forgiveness intervention within intergenerational family therapy. Journal of Family Therapy, 20, 77-94.
12.
Doumas, D., Margolin, G., & John, R.S. (1994). The intergenerational transmission of aggression across three generations. Journal of Family Violence, 9, 157-175.
13.
Enright, R.D., & Fitzgibbons, R.P. (2000). Helping clients forgive: An empirical guide for resolving anger and restoring hope. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association .
14.
Enright, R.D., & Rique, J. (2004). Manual for the Enright Forgiveness Inventory. Redwood City, CA: Mind Garden.
15.
Ferch, S.R. (2001). Generational conversation: A technique for forgiving and healing the generational bond. Marriage & Family: A Christian Journal, 4, 21-30.
16.
Fincham, F.D. (2000). The kiss of the porcupines: From attributing responsibility to forgiving. Personal Relationships, 7, 1-23.
17.
Fincham, F.D., & Beach, S.R.H. (2002). Forgiveness in marriage: Implications for psychological aggression and constructive communication. Personal Relationships , 9, 239-251.
18.
Fincham, F.D., Beach, S.R.H., & Davila, J. (2004). Forgiveness and conflict resolution in marriage . Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 72-81.
19.
Fincham, F.D., Paleari, F.G., & Regalia, C. (2002). Forgiveness in marriage: The role of relationship quality, attributions, and empathy. Personal Relationships , 9, 27-37.
20.
Fitzgibbons, R.P. (1998). Anger and the healing power of forgiveness: A psychiatrist's view. In R. D. Enright, & J. North (Eds.), Exploring forgiveness (pp. 63-74). Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
21.
Freedman, S.R., & Enright, R.D. (1996). Forgiveness as an intervention goal with incest survivors. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 983-992.
22.
Gordon, K.C., & Baucom, D.H. (2003). Forgiveness and marriage: Preliminary support for a measure based on a model of recovery from a marital betrayal. American Journal of Family Therapy, 31, 179-199.
23.
Heyman, R.E., & Smith Slep, A.M. (2002). Do child abuse and interparental violence lead to adulthood family violence?Journal of Marriage and Family, 64, 864-870.
24.
Kachadourian, L.K., Fincham, F.D., & Davila, J. (2004). The tendency to forgive in dating and married couples: The role of attachment and relationship satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 11, 373-393.
25.
Kalmuss, D. (1984). The intergenerational transmission of marital aggression. Journal of Marriage and Family, 46, 11-19.
26.
Karremans, J.C., Van Lange, P.A.M., Ouwerkerk, J.W., & Kluwer, E.S. (2003). When forgiving enhances psychological well-being: The role of interpersonal commitment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 1011-1026.
27.
Katz, S.H. (2002). Healing the father-son relationship: A qualitative inquiry into adult reconciliation. Journal of Humanistic Psychology , 42(3), 13-52.
28.
Loos, M.E., & Alexander, P.C. (1997). Differential effects associated with self-reported histories of abuse and neglect in a college sample. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12, 340-360.
29.
Lytton, H., & Romney, D.M. (1991). Parents' differential socialization of boys and girls: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 109, 267-296.
30.
MacKinnon, D.P., Fairchild, A.J., & Fritz, M.S. (2007). Mediation analysis. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 593-614.
31.
Margolin, G., Gordis, E.B., Medina, A.M., & Oliver, P.H. (2003). The co-occurrence of husband-to-wife aggression, family-of-origin aggression, and child abuse potential in a community sample: Implications for parenting. Journal of Interpersonal Violence , 18, 413-440.
32.
North, J. (1987). Wrongdoing and forgiveness. Philosophy , 62, 499-508.
33.
Osterndorf, C.L. (2000). Effects of a forgiveness education with adult children of alcoholics. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin- Madison, 2000). Dissertation Abstracts International A, 61 (1), 85.
34.
Paleari, F.G., Regalia, C., & Fincham, F.D. (2003). Adolescents' willingness to forgive their parents: An empirical model. Parenting: Science and Practice, 3, 155-174.
35.
Paleari, F.G., Regalia, C., & Fincham, F.D. (2005). Marital quality, forgiveness, empathy, and rumination: A longitudinal analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 368-378.
36.
Reed, G.L., & Enright, R.D. (2006). The effects of forgiveness therapy on depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress for women after spousal emotional abuse . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 920-929.
37.
Sells, J.N., Giordano, F.G., & King, L. (2002). A pilot study in marital group therapy: Process and outcome. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 10, 156-166.
38.
Smith Slep, A.M., & O'Leary, S.G. (2007). Multivariate models of mothers' and fathers' aggression toward their children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75, 739-751.
