Study: Women more likely to forgive than men

By Staff Writer

Many problem teens engage in negative activity because they hold grudges and resentments against other individuals, such as their peers, parents or authority figures.

A new study at the University of the Basque County examines the gender and age factors that contribute to one's ability to forgive another person. The report, which appears in the journal Revista Latinoamericana de Psicolgia, is based on a study of middle-age adults and their children between the ages of 17 and 25.

Researchers studied the participants' ability to forgive as well as the factors that fostered, or disrupted, reconciliation. They found that many children believed that forgiveness is granted over time, while parents based their decisions on remorsefulness and fairness.

In addition, the researchers discovered that women were more likely than men to empathize with other people. While female participants showed more of an effort to understand someone else's emotions, males were more concerned with not bearing a grudge when deciding to forgive others.

The study's authors said that the research is necessary to see how individuals respond to incidents such as sexual abuse, bullying and marital infidelity.

Adolescents who lack empathy and hold grudges may benefit from wilderness therapy programs, many of which aim to help problem teens improve their personal relationships.