ABSTRACT

Although romantic relationships are often a source of joy and comfort, they can also be a source of great pain when relational betrayals and ruptures occur. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the existing research on forgiveness as it relates to the three domains that comprise the darker side of marriage: infidelity, intimate partner violence (IPV), and divorce. In the infidelity section, we highlight research regarding the likelihood of forgiveness following infidelity, forgiveness treatment models, and therapists’ perspectives on treating infidelity. Similarly, in the IPV section, we examine factors that influence survivors’ likelihood to forgive their abusers as well as various research findings that distinguish between instances in which forgiveness after IPV is beneficial versus harmful. In the divorce section, we highlight empirically supported forgiveness programs that have been recently implemented to aid people in post-divorce adjustment. Finally, in the conclusion, we describe promising new intervention strategies in these areas and discuss systemic and structural barriers that are currently hampering further developments in this field.