No, it doesn't matter to me, I don't abuse kids just because it was done to me.

Yes - I could (and have) forgiven my abuser and it's not dependent on whether he was abused as a child or not. I don't know for sure if he was, but I suspect that something happened to him.

The main thing though is that forgiveness goes way beyond just the facts of what each person experienced and did. The circumstances are only part of it. The really healing/forgivess doesn't depend on that.

I had to get angry before I could forgive. I grew up with physical, emotional and sexual abuse. The first memory I had of sexual abuse was at 7 years of age and it went until I was 16. I was a very mixed up adult until I spent New Years Eve 1994 and My 30th birthday on a womens psyche unit finally dealing with the abuse. The best thing they taught was to get angry and then GOD didnt do it. Sorry started rambling. Thanks

I don't even consider forgiving the abuser relevant, perhaps because I didn't have very personal relationships with the abusers. I don't wish anyone to suffer, not even my abusers. That doesn't mean i won't take them out if I get a chance simply to protect others from their abuse.

No way. It is still wrong and there is NO excuse for it.

SORRY, MY ANSWER IS (NO) I COULD NOT,AND WOULD NOT,AND DID NOT,I FEEL THAT WOULD BE MAKING A STATEMENT SOMEHOW THAT I (((((HAVE))))LOW SELF ESTEEM,AND I WOULD NOT LOWER MYSELF.(((((((GOD))))))) FORGIVES ALL,I, (DONT) HAVE TO AND, I DO NOT FEEL HE WILL JUDGE ME FOR THAT.JUST BECAUSE IT HAPPENENED TO ME, DID I DO IT,
(((((((((((((NO))))))))))))))))))))))))))
IT IS AN (((((((EXCUSE))))))))) IT IS AN ACT OF(((((((VIOLENCE)))))))) AND CERTAINLY, THEY ARE ANGRY,HOWEVER THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO DEAL WITH ANGER,THERE IS NO WAY TO (((((JUSTIFY))))) WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.IT IS A LIFETIME SENTENCE, THAT WE HAVE,IT IS NOT OVER FOR US WHEN THEY WALK AWAY(((((( IF YOU ARE ROBBED OF MONEY,JEWELRY ETC.THAT CAN BE REPLACED,NOT OUR CHILDHOOD,ESTEEM OR ANY OF THE SIDE AFFECTS THAT GO WITH IT.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO EXPRESS MYSELF,SINCERELY (SEMPERSUGAR)

I forgave the guy who abused me when I was 8, and we're actually friends now - I know, it seems very fucked up, but thats what worked for me. I haven't forgotten, but I forgave him and that's how I was able to move on.
On the other hand, the guy who's harassing me now, I don't know if I can forgive him. Maybe eventually, but it's all still to fresh now.
But I'm a forgiving person, only time will tell.
I don't think their background matters, its what happens after the abuse stops. If they are genuinely better and are genuinely sorry... then I think they can be forgiven - but its up to the victim and dependent on how much damage was caused.

My abuser was arrested and did small time and some type of classes. He is now getting arrested again in the next 2 weeks for abusing 2 young girls again. I will never forgive him.

I think it is possible. My abuser died and thats the only reason it stopped. I was 14. Now at 26 I realize that he was not well. What he did to me for so many years was terrible but God does not deal cards that one can not handle. God has given me the strength to heal and the ability to forgive. He (my uncle) has his punishment coming from above. He's not even worth me feeling hate or anger. All I can do is help those who have lived this and try to stop it from happening to our kids (and adults).

me.. I chose not to forgive.. I dont care.. Its something i'll live with for the rest of my life.. I'll never get completely over it.. I'll be paranoid forever and consumed with trying to make sure it never happens to my kids. I can't forgive him for the years of shit he put me through and the shit i'll go through for the rest of my life because of it.. the anxiety.. the fear.. The fact that he ended up in prison a few years ago for doing it to someone else and leaving them for dead.. Has just made it harder on me.. becuase i've felt guilt for him being able to do it to someone else.. no.. it wouldnt make a difference.. we all know hitting someone because they hit you is not a good excuse.. same thing to me..

no i have been abused by a close friend of my family and i have two kids i would never think about putting anybody through what i have been going through for years and will go through for the rest of my life if anything you become more protecting over the people you love and everybody around you even strangers

I tryed to forgive but not for him for me so I could heel so I could feel maybe just a little better and it did help just a tad to not hold a grude my head forgives him but my heart holds on it's hard and I think it's impossible to forgive compleately because like I said you're heart will still hold on to what happend no matter how much you're head trys to tell it not to...

I don't know. I would pity him a bit, but what he did to me has ruined so much for me.... I wouldn't abuse a child. So I don't see it as that good of an excuse. I think the act is unexcuseable.

This is a difficult question i guess everyone deserves a second chance, but i find it difficult to comprehend how someone who had had pain inflicted upon them in this way could then turn round and do it to someone else. However i believe that the abuser in this situation would have been mentally/emotionally unstable and maybe the only way they believed they could get themself out of their situation would be to try to comprehend what their abuser did to them, but this would not excuse them for what they did. I personally will never forive my abuser for what she did but i am only 15, my opinion may change. Right now, no, regardless of my abusers past i could not forgive them even if i wanted to. I may be symathetic towards them and try to build bridges but i woud never ever forgive them and i will always feel resentment and hatred towards them no matter how minute.

i agree with what the first person said. just because a person was abused as a child and didn't get help, doesn't mean it's any more or less okay for them to do the same to a child. even if i would never have gotten help, i would NEVER have sexually abused a child...NEVER. now, onto forgiving...

i recently read in a book about sexual abuse that it actually isn't necessary that you forgive your abuser in order to recover. this is something i didn't know before, but was glad to hear. right now, i'm just not in the forgving mood, especially since i know i wasn't the only child in the family my abuser abused. i imagine he must be burning in the very pits of hell right now as i write these words.