Motivations for Forgiving an Offender with Practical Implications for Those in the Helping Professions: A Qualitative Study

While the forgiveness literature is rapidly growing, little attention has been paid to the general public's motivations for forgiving. Using a qualitative approach, this study examined 100 participants' stated reasons for forgiving. The following seven themes have emerged: (1) forgiveness is the key to inner peace, (2) relationships matter, (3) forgiveness is conditional, (4) they forgive because of love/concern for the other in the human community, (5) forgiveness is a (moral and religious) duty, (6) they forgive for the sake of others, and (7) they forgive for growth. When considering motivations for forgiveness, participants tended to focus on what they could restore or gain as a consequence of forgiving, supporting the findings of past studies. However, some notable differences were also found when questions were asked in different ways. Major findings, implications for those in the helping professions, and limitations and future directions are discussed.