Forgiveness as a moderator of the association between victimization and suicidal ideation

The present study examined the relationships between victimization, suicidal ideation and forgiveness. 962 Chinese middle school students were evaluated using the Chinese versions of the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ), the Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation scale (PANSI) and the Forgiveness Questionnaire (FQ). High victimization and low forgiveness were found to predict increased suicidal ideation. Victimized students with high level of forgiveness reported less suicidal ideation than students with low level of forgiveness. Forgiveness was found to moderate the association between victimization and suicidal ideation and could be a protective factor against suicidal ideation in victimized students.