We analyzed gender and anxiety differences in middle school students facing a physical peer aggression situation. The participants were 1147 adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years (male: n = 479; female: n = 668) who watched a 12 s animation representing the situation and filled out a questionnaire to analyze the legitimation of violent behaviors and anxiety levels. We registered their decisions to solve the situation using a categorical scale that included assertive, avoidant, aggressive, submissive, and supportive behaviors. Gender was not associated with the adolescent’s behaviors in facing a simulated peer aggression situation. However, male teenagers tended to perceive adults as sanctioners and neutrals; those who used the diffusion of responsibility and dehumanization to justify their behavior also showed a higher state of anxiety. Female teenagers who expected legitimation from their peers, presented higher anxiety as well. Educational interventions may use these results, helping adolescents to understand that their acts have substantial implications in the lives of others. It is essential to develop group interventions that modify how adolescents manage their conflicts and change gender stereotypes that significantly impact health. We highlight the need for linking families in educational programs facing the challenges of transforming the legitimization of violence in parental practices.

This study delves into the concepts of forgiveness, reconciliation, and nonviolence through the experiences of victims, social leaders, and academics involved in Colombia's peacebuilding initiatives. Using focus groups, audio/video recordings, and thematic analysis, the research developed comprehensive categories situated within Bronfenbrenner's bioecological framework. The results indicate that the journey towards forgiveness, reconciliation, nonviolence, and peace encompasses a gradient extending from individual subjective experiences to broader sociocultural contexts. These findings underscore the critical importance of addressing structural inequalities and upholding rights, with implications that resonate profoundly within Colombia's ongoing peacebuilding efforts. Victims provided narratives in a deeply personal and communitarian manner, while leaders and academics emphasized the pivotal role of the State in ensuring rights and addressing inequalities to facilitate forgiveness and reconciliation processes. Overall, the study underscores the complex interplay between personal, societal, and governmental factors in Colombia's peacebuilding efforts, offering valuable insights for future research and policy development.

Introduction/aim: Willingness to forgive has been studied in different situations, however, there are no published studies in Colombia with indigenous populations and taking into account their worldview. The present research was aimed at examining the willingness to forgive of people from various ethnic minorities in Colombia such as the Embera, Nasa, Pijao and Kaamash-Hu communities and focusing in particular on the Wayuu community. Method: An experimental design was used and a cluster analysis was performed. The sample was composed of 159 indigenous adults (30% male) between the ages of 18 and 76, who were shown a series of scenarios describing a common situation in which an orchard was damaged by domestic animals belonging to a neighbour. Three factors were manipulated in the scenario: the severity of the damage, the level of carelessness of the animals’ owner, and the animals’ owner’s explanations and apologetic behaviour. Results: Cluster analysis yielded five qualitatively different positions: Never forgive under any circumstances (6% of the sample, primarily participants from the Embera community), Depends on apology and neglect (15%), Depends on apology, consequences, and neglect (30%, primarily participants from the Kaamash-Hu community), and Almost always forgive (36%, primarily people from the Wayuu community). Conclusion: Thus, there is a convergence between the results of this study and the anthropological observations of the participating ethnic communities. Forgiveness is closely linked to the cosmovision of each indigenous group.

This systematic review examines the willingness of victims and non-victims or members of civil society to forgive in the context of armed conflicts. The review addresses two primary research questions: (1) How do individuals affected by armed conflict conceptualize forgiveness? (2) What individual, interpersonal, and contextual factors influence their willingness to forgive? A total of 30 reviewed articles comprising 35 individual studies, published between 2000 and 2024, were retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, in English and Spanish. The final search was conducted in July 2025. Inclusion criteria focused on forgiveness in armed conflict settings, involving victims, non-victims or members of civil society. Studies addressing apology, reconciliation, and intergroup forgiveness were considered. Exclusion criteria included studies on forgiveness in family, romantic, educational, or criminal contexts unrelated to armed conflict, as well as books, conference proceedings, systematic reviews, and theoretical papers. Risk of bias was assessed using the CASP tool, which indicated low risk of bias in most studies, although some findings lack generalizability due to methodological limitations. The findings indicate that forgiveness is a complex and multidimensional process with significant implications for mental health, social reconciliation, and peacebuilding effort. Facilitating factors included acknowledgment of harm, apologies, justice measures, religious and cultural beliefs, and guarantees of non-repetition. Conversely, lack of trust, empathy, and the severity of offenses reduced willingness to forgive. Limitations include the heterogeneity of study designs and cultural contexts.