Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicología del Principado de Asturias).
We currently publish four issues per year, which accounts for some 100 articles annually. We admit work from both the basic and applied research fields, and from all areas of Psychology, all manuscripts being anonymously reviewed prior to publication.
Barbara Barcaccia1,2, Barry Howard Schneider3, Susanna Pallini4 and Roberto Baiocco1
1 Sapienza University of Rome,
2 Associazione di Psicologia Cognitiva APC-Scuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva srl SPC,
3 Boston College, MA, USA and
4 Roma Tre University
Background: Many studies have shown that victimisation by bullies is linked with psychopathology. Research has also demonstrated that forgiveness is associated with the mental health of victims of bullying. Method: Our objective was to explore the multiple components of forgiveness (i.e., benevolence, decreased avoidance of the perpetrator and diminished desire for revenge) as mediators of the negative mental health effects of bullying in Italian adolescents. Our hypothesis was that those who forgive their bullies would show lower levels of depression, state anger, and behaviour problems than those who did not forgive. Participants were 319 students ages 14 to 22 from two schools in Southern Italy who completed five self-report questionnaires measuring levels of victimisation, forgiveness, depression, anger, and total behaviour problems. Results: The results varied according to the components of forgiveness: although benevolence toward the victim was not a significant correlate of outcome, harbouring a desire for revenge and avoiding the perpetrator emerged as very maladaptive. Conclusions: Our study indicates that is it important for those working with adolescents to help victims of bullying overcome the negative mental health effects of the victimisation by letting go of un-forgiveness.
Acoso escolar y el papel perjudicial del no-perdón en el bienestar de los adolescentes. Antecedentes: el vínculo entre la victimización por matones y la psicopatología ha sido bien establecido. En muchos estudios el perdón ha sido asociado con una mejor salud mental para víctimas de acoso. Método: nuestro objetivo era explorar los múltiples componentes del perdón (es decir, la benevolencia, la disminución de la evitación del perpetrador y el deseo disminuido de venganza) como mediadores de los efectos negativos de la intimidación sobre la salud mental de los adolescentes italianos. Nuestra hipótesis era que quienes perdonan a sus matones muestran menores niveles de depresión, ira-estado y más problemas de comportamiento. Los participantes fueron 319 estudiantes, de edades entre 14 y 22, de dos escuelas del sur de Italia que completaron cinco cuestionarios de auto-informe midiendo los niveles de victimización, perdón, depresión, ira y problemas de comportamiento. Resultados: mientras que la benevolencia hacia la víctima no se relacionó significativamente con el resultado, albergar un deseo de venganza y evitar la víctima emergieron como muy maladaptativos. Conclusiones: nuestro estudio indica que es importante que quienes trabajan con adolescentes ayuden a las víctimas de acoso a superar los negativos efectos sobre la salud mental de la victimización por dejar ir el no-perdón.
SPANISH
ENGLISH
https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2016.251