The Concept of Saying Sorry Among Children: A Prelude to Forgiveness Behavior and Implications to Teaching Preschoolers

Abstract

The study investigated the ways in which young children define and understand the act of saying sorry. As their language skills expand and their ability to take the perspective of others improves, empathic responding increases and becomes an important motivator of prosocial or altruistic behavior. Moreover, their capacity to explain what forgiveness means through saying sorry would reflect their level of language development in relation to concretizing their ideas verbally. If they can explain how they understand what saying sorry means, then some activities in preschool may be geared towards promoting forgiveness. The findings revealed that the children had an abstract understanding of forgiveness - through the concrete action of saying sorry. From the responses that the children provided, it is surmised that the act of saying sorry is a powerful tool in maintaining interpersonal relationships and protecting it. Language is one way children learn about their social environments; the discourse their mothers and grandmothers have with them influenced how they understand forgiveness. Overall, the data indicated that context was important in understanding forgiveness and the actions promoting it. Teachers of preschoolers should also provide venues to explain the value of forgiving others and asking for forgiveness.