Is It Possible to Forgive Child Sexual Abuse?

Abstract

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Raising the possibility of forgiveness in child sexual abuse is a delicate matter. At times, forgiveness has been used by abusers as a way of guaranteeing the victim's silence. The pressure by the community on the victim to forgive can be understood as contempt for his or her suffering, as a way of detracting from the seriousness or importance of the abuser's behavior, or as a way of releasing him from responsibility or from deserved punishment, making revictimization more likely. However, these consequences appear when misconceptions of forgiveness arise. Forgiveness is a complex concept, with multiple dimensions and possibilities, and can offer the victim a valuable resource for overcoming their pain. Numerous studies have collected the positive effects of forgiveness on victims of sexual abuse. Forgiveness can be proposed as a tool to help and heal the pain and suffering of victims of child sexual abuse, but great care needs to be taken when making the proposal to avoid transmitting any kind of moral obligation and keeping in mind a concept of forgiveness that respects justice and protect the victim. Forgiveness is a right, never a ‘must’.