Abstract:
This study aims to develop and investigate the causal model of self-forgiveness in juvenile delinquents. Also, it is aimed to investigate effects of self-forgiveness on subjective happiness in juvenile delinquents and their families. The study participants consisted of 1,031 juvenile delinquents in Juvenile Observation and Protection Centers and Regional Juvenile Vocational Center and 120 pairs of juvenile delinquents and their families. Data was collected from juvenile delinquents via self-report questionnaires and from families via phone interviewing. Structural Equation Modelling was performed to analyze the data using LISREL statistical software. Also, the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), a dyadic confirmatory analysis was performed. Results showed that the self-forgiveness model incorporating self- and other-blaming, perceived crime seriousness, guilt, empathy, compliance behaviors, and perceived forgiveness from victims and those affected by crime was consistent with the empirical data, (χ2 =68.84, df =53, p = 0.071, GFI = 0.992, AGFI = .979, RMR = 0.0257, RMSEA = 0.0170). For the proportion of variance explained, 41% of self-forgiveness were explained by all variables in the equations. The juveniles with high scores of self- and other-blaming combined with low empathy, no compliance behaviors, and not receive forgiveness from victims and those affected by crime had low self-forgiveness (effect size = -.09, p <.001) For dyadic confirmatory analyses, the effect of self-forgiveness on subjective happiness in juvenile delinquents and their families was consistent with the empirical data (χ2 = 15.627, df =11, p = 0.156, GFI = 0.972, AGFI = 0.872, RMR = 0.042, RMSEA = 0.059). The variable in the model, self-forgiveness in juvenile delinquents and families accounted for 87.4% of variance in juvenile delinquent subjective happiness and 84% in family subjective happiness. Interdependent effects between self-forgiveness and juvenile delinquent and family subjective happiness showed significant relationships at the statistical significance level of .001. For actor effects, self-forgiveness in both juvenile delinquents and their families had positive relationship with subjective happiness at the statistical significance level of .01 (b = 0.59 and 0.25 p<.01 respectively). For partner effect, self-forgiveness in juvenile delinquents had a positive relationship with family subjective happiness at the statistical significance level of .01 (b = 0.60 p<.01). Similarly, self-forgiveness in families had a positive relationship with juvenile delinquent subjective happiness at the statistical significance level of .05 (b = 0.28 p<.05).