Forgiveness and armed conflict in a Colombian Caribbean region: Differences between genders

Abstract

The forgiveness within the framework of social-political conflict is a factor that affects the coexistence and welfare. In the Colombian Caribbean, there are a significant number of people who have been victims of land dispossession and/or forced displacement.

The aim of this study is to compare the forgiveness ability between men and women who have been displaced and are in the process of lands restitutions. Displaced and in restitutions process people were participated (n = 38), which 20 of them were women and 18 were men (Mean = 57.81; SD = 13.86). The CAPER Scale, was administered. A cross sectional and comparative design was carried out. The comparison was performed using a t-test for independent samples (Table 1).

Conclusions

A greater tendency was observed in women for forgiveness himself, noneless a statistically significant gender difference was not identified. It was a greater tendency in men toward forgiveness to others, however there are no statistical differences between the two groups. In forgiveness situations, a similar trend is evident in gender. As for beliefs, it was observed that men scored higher, this allowed statistically significant differences were observed [F (1, 38) = 6.271; P > 0.05].

Table 1

Means and SD – Caper Scale	1. Women; 2. Men	n	Mean	SD	Standard error of mean
Forgiveness himself	1	20	28.00	4.899	1.095
2	18	26.00	4.229	0.997
Forgiveness to others	1	20	28.35	5.402	1.208
2	18	29.11	4.129	0.973
Forgiveness situations	1	20	28.00	5.016	1.122
2	18	28.00	3.757	0.886
Beliefs	1	20	11.80	2.821	0.631
2	18	13.33	1.188	0.280

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.