General Media Advisory

• New scientific findings on forgiveness and low blood pressure, less back pain, race and gender differences, child sex abuse, biological links with primates
• World's Top Scientists present findings at Conference on Forgiveness October 24-25
  

Over 40 of the top scientists in the world who study forgiveness are reporting on their research at a conference in Atlanta October 24-25 at the Westin, Peachtree Plaza Hotel. Spanning the globe from South Africa to Northern Ireland, some of the top researchers include Franz duWaal (Director of the Yerkes Primate Center), Ming Tsuang (Harvard psychiatrist), and Lindon Eaves (geneticist, second most cited geneticist in world).

The conference is hosted by A Campaign for Forgiveness Research, a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating research for personal health, maintaining relationships, peace among nations and biological connections with primates. The research is funded by grants from the John Templeton Foundation, the Fetzer Institute and donations to the Campaign from individuals and family foundations. The Campaign is directed by Everett L. Worthington, Jr. Professor and Chair of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, and author of “Five Steps to Forgiveness” (Crown Publishers).

For complimentary registration information for journalists or to arrange interviews, please contact Vicki Robb at 703-329-3356.

Keynote speakers include Martin Luther King III, civil rights activist and head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Martin Seligman, past president of the American Psychological Association; and Les Parrott, relationship expert and author of Love the Life You Live.

The scientific presentations include the power of forgiving as it affects marriages, health, women, Blacks, religion, businesses, relationships, criminals and victims, substance abusers, and others. The first study to examine brain imaging when making judgments about forgiveness is also presented.

Others include:

Jon Webb: Can forgiveness become medicine’s newest tool in the rehabilitation process? One study of the medical rehabilitation of spinal cord patients says yes. Forgiveness was found to improve health and those more forgiving of themselves and of others reported more life satisfaction.

Loren Toussaint: Forgiveness is a factor in low blood pressure, especially in poorer Blacks. Forgiveness linked to low blood pressure and, first study connecting forgiveness and health to survey racially and socio-economically diverse individuals shows that, for low socio-economic status Blacks, forgiveness is linked to low blood pressure and low levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Ann Macaskill: Forgiveness research highlights new realities in the battle of the sexes. A new study finds that women are more likely to forgive than men, but both are equal in seeking revenge.

Jennie Noll: When counseling forgiveness in victims of child sexual abuse, there is no such thing as an open and shut case of forgive and forget. An ongoing ten-year study on the long-term impact of child sexual abuse found that reconciling with the offender might not be a healthy choice, especially when the mother and child are not close. Going beyond certain steps in the forgiveness process was shown to be detrimental in cases of child sexual abuse.