Self-forgiveness within couple transgression

This chapter conceptualizes self-forgiveness as a proactive and meaning focused coping strategy. In order to explain the proactive and other-oriented value of self-forgiveness, we highlight the functions of three key factors related to the process: taking responsibility, working through guilt and shame emotions, and the activation of self-compassion. We also consider self-forgiveness within romantic relationships as it is affected by closeness between perpetrator and victim. Self-forgiveness is described as a pro-relationship strategy to cope with the wrongdoing by caring for the couple bond. The chapter underlines the positive contributions of self-forgiveness’s determinants such as offenders’ reparative strategies and victims’ forgiveness. Highlighting the pro-relationship nature of self-forgiveness, we report a study that investigates the mediational role of self-forgiveness between offending partner self-compassion and the offender’s couple well-being.