Book of Abstracts [Unofficial – Accepted Presentation, Abstract Submission Ongoing]

Childhood trauma can have profound and long-lasting effects on an individual's emotional and relational well-being. This presentation explores the critical role of attachment styles and emotional regulation in navigating the journey from early trauma to the capacity for forgiveness. Drawing on attachment theory and recent empirical findings, we examine how attachment patterns can either hinder or facilitate the ability to process and integrate painful childhood experiences.
Moreover, emotional regulation emerges as a mechanism in this process, providing individuals with the skills to manage overwhelming emotions and develop more adaptive coping strategies. Together, these elements create a framework that can promote forgiveness.
The our results obtained suggest that individuals with moderate, high, and extreme levels of childhood trauma, compared to those with low levels of trauma, are more likely to negatively predict decisional forgiveness. This occurs through heightened levels of attachment avoidance and a reduced use of adaptive strategies. Additionally, these individuals exhibit lower levels of emotional forgiveness in the presence of positive emotions, mediated by higher levels of attachment avoidance.