Personality, family relationships and school climate dimensions as predictors of dispositional forgiveness in adolescence

Abstract

The mental health benefits of forgiveness are well-established in the literature. The growing research on dispositional forgiveness in adolescence is indicative of the need to better understand its role in youth’s well-being. In order to examine dispositional forgiveness in adolescence, measures regarding Big 5 personality factors (individual level), family relationships, school climate (system level), and sociodemographic variables at an individual and system level were used. Participants were 1,378 adolescents attending junior and senior high schools located in the broader area of Attica, Greece, randomly selected. Younger age, lower levels of neuroticism, and higher levels of extraversion, agreeableness and quality communication with the mother predicted higher forgiveness of self. Higher levels of openness to experience, agreeableness, quality communication with the father, positive behavior, positive attitude, and lower levels of lack of respect in the school predicted higher forgiveness of others. Finally, lower levels of neuroticism, higher levels of extraversion, agreeableness, and positive behavior in the school predicted higher levels of forgiveness of situations. The findings highlight the important role of personality factors and indicate the significance of primary prevention interventions in the school community regarding school climate that could contribute to the promotion of dispositional forgiveness and well-being of adolescents.