Baseline Assessment : Forgiving Offenders

Establishing Your Starting Point

This Baseline Assessment provides a snapshot of how you currently respond to offences and offenders before you begin the Guide.

Respond according to your actual experience rather than how you believe you should respond. You will have an opportunity to revisit these areas after completing the Guide.

How to Complete the Assessment

For each statement, select the response that best describes your current experience.

1 — Never | 2 — Rarely | 3 — Sometimes | 4 — Often | 5 — Very Often

1. I deliberately avoid someone who has offended me when I have an opportunity to interact with that person.

1  2  3  4  5

2. Memories of an offence revive negative feelings towards the offender.

1  2  3  4  5

3. I bring up previous offences when the same person offends me again.

1  2  3  4  5

4. I tell other people about an offender’s wrong-doings even when doing so serves no constructive purpose.

1  2  3  4  5

5. I react more strongly to an offender’s actions because of what that person has done to me in the past.

1  2  3  4  5

6. I repeatedly revisit an offence in my thoughts.

1  2  3  4  5

7. I find it difficult to wish someone who has offended me well.

1  2  3  4  5

8. I feel some satisfaction when an offender experiences difficulties or suffers the consequences of his or her actions.

1  2  3  4  5

9. I find it difficult to forgive an offender who has not acknowledged the offence.

1  2  3  4  5

10. I find it difficult to forgive someone who repeatedly commits the same or similar offences against me.

1  2  3  4  5

11. I continue to hold an offence against someone even after that person has apologised.

1  2  3  4  5

12. I find some offences too serious to forgive.

1  2  3  4  5

13. I allow a past offence to influence the way I interpret an offender’s present actions.

1  2  3  4  5

14. I find it difficult to treat an offender without allowing the past offence to influence my behaviour towards that person.

1  2  3  4  5

15. I continue to desire consequences for an offender even after considerable time has passed.

1  2  3  4  5

Your Baseline Score

Add your responses to Statements 1–15.

Your Score: ______ / 75

Understanding Your Score

15–29 — Few Indicators Evident

Your responses suggest that few of the indicators assessed are evident in the way you currently respond to offences and offenders.

30–44 — Some Indicators Evident

Your responses suggest that some of the indicators assessed are evident in your current responses to offences and offenders.

45–59 — Several Indicators Evident

Your responses suggest that several of the indicators assessed are evident in the way you currently respond to offences and offenders.

60–75 — Indicators Strongly Evident

Your responses suggest that many of the indicators assessed are strongly evident in your current responses to offences and offenders.

Your total score provides an overall baseline. Individual responses are also important. A lower overall score may still include particular statements on which you selected Often or Very Often.

Reviewing Your Baseline

1. For which statements did you select Often or Very Often?

2. Were any of your ratings higher than you expected?

☐ Yes
☐ No

If yes, which ones?

3. Do you notice any similarities among your higher-rated responses?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ I am not sure

If yes, what similarities do you notice?

4. Do several of your higher-rated responses relate to the same offender or offence?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ I am not sure

If yes, which responses?

Your Starting Point

In your opinion, what does your baseline score suggest about your current responses to offences and offenders?

Which of your higher-rated responses would you particularly like to pay attention to as you read the Guide?