Moral development and criminal behaviour
Keywords:
criminal behaviour; moral development; moral thinking; moral behaviour
Abstract
In the search for the reasons why some people commit criminal acts, disturb social order, cause harm to others and pose a menace to public well-being, the centrepiece of much of psychological research has increasingly become moral development and its significance for social behaviour. Moral immaturity, defined as moral development halted at its early stages with a concomitant lack of perspective taking (beyond one’s own egocentrism), has been identified in the moral development research as one of the culprits of aggressive and criminal behaviour by facilitating disregard for law, moral principles and social codes of conduct. In this paper, I will attempt to highlight the possible associations between moral development and criminal behaviour. I will refer to relevant theories in order to provide an explanation of this relationship and include results of empirical research that confirm it.
References
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Blatt, M., Kohlberg, L. (1975). The effects of classroom moral discussion upon children’s moral judgement. Journal od Moral Education, 4, 129-161.
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Buck, L. Z., Walsh, W. F., Rothman, G. (1981) Relationship between parental judgement and socialization. Youth and Society, 13, 91-116.
Deater-Deckard, K., Dodge, K. A. (1997). Externalizing behavior problems and discipline revisited: Nonlinear effects and variations by culture, context and gender. Psychological Inquiry, 8, 161-175.
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Gilligan, C. (1980). The effects of social institutions on the moral development of children and adolescents. Bulletin of The Menninger Clinic, 44, 5, 498-522.
Gregg, V., Gibbs, J. C., Basinger, K. S. (1994). Patterns of developmental delay in moral judgement by male and female delinquents. Merril-Palmer Quarterly, 40, 538-553.
Groth, J. (2003). Rozwój moralny a radzenie sobie ze stresem u nieletnich przestępców. Poznań: Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe.
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Hart, C. H., Ladd, G. W., Burleson, B. R. (1990). Children’s expectations of the outcomes of social strategies: Relations with sociometric status and maternal disciplinary styles. Child Development, 61, 127-137.
Hoffman, M. L., Salzstein, H. D. (1967). Parent discipline and the child’s moral development. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 45-57.
Hudson, S. M., Ward, T. (2000). Interpersonal competency in sex offenders. Behavior Modification, 24, 494-527.
Kohlberg, L. (1969). Stage and sequence: The cognitive-developmental approach to socialization. W: D. A. Goslin (red.), Handbook of socialization on theory and research (s. 347-480). New York: Rand McNally.
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Kruger, A. C. (1992). The effect of peer and adult-child transactive discussion on moral reasoning. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 38, 191-211.
Kruger, A. C., Tomasello, M. (1986). Transactive discussions with peers and adults. Developmental Psychology, 22, 681-685.
Liau, A. K., Barriga, A. Q., Gibbs, J. C. (1998). Relations between self-serving cognitive distortions and over vs. covert antisocial behavior in adolescents. Aggressive Behavior, 24, 335-346.
Marshall, W. L., Barbaree, H. E. (1990). An integrated theory of the etiology of sexual offending. W: W. L. Marshall, D. R. Laws, H. E. Barbaree (red.), Handbook of sexual assault: Issues, theories and treatment of the offender (s. 257-275). New York: Plenum.
Marshall, W. L., Hudson, S. M., Jones, R., Fernandez, Y. M. (1995). Empathy in sex offenders. Clinical Psychology Review, 15, 99-113.
McNamee, S. (1978). Moral behavior moral development and motivation. Journal of Moral Education, 7, 27-31.
Nelson, J. R., Smith, D. J., Dodd, J. (1990). The moral reasoning of juvenile delinquents: A meta-analysis. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 18, 231-239.
Palmer, E. J. (2000). Perceptions of parenting, social cognition and delinquency. Clinical Psycho-logy and Psychotherapy, 7, 303-309.
Palmer, E. J. (2003). An overview of the relationship between moral reasoning and offending. Australian Psychologist, 38, 165-174.
Palmer, E. J., Hollin, C. R. (1996). Sociomoral reasoning, perception of own parenting and self--reported delinquency. Personality and Individual Differences, 21, 175-182.
Palmer, E. J., Hollin, C. R. (1997). The influence of perceptions of own parenting on sociomoral reasoning, attributions for criminal behaviour, and self-reported delinquency. Personality and Individual Differences, 23, 193-197.
Palmer, E. J., Hollin, C. R. (1998). A comparison of patterns of moral development in young offenders and non-offenders. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 3, 225-235.
Palmer, E. J., Hollin, C. R. (2000). The inter-relations of sociomoral reasoning, perceptions of own parenting, attributions of intent with self-reported delinquency. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 3, 225-235.
Patterson, G. R. (1982). Coercive family processes. Eugene, PR: Castalia.
Piaget, J. (1932/1964). Rozwój ocen moralnych. Warszawa: PWN.
Power, F. C., Higgins, A., Kohlberg, L. (1989). Lawrence Kohlberg’s approach to moral education: A study of three democratic high schools. New York: Columbia University Press.
Powers, S. I. (1988). Moral judgement development within the family. Journal of Moral Education, 17, 209-219.
Ross, R. R., Fabiano, E. A. (1985). Time to think: A cognitive model of delinquency prevention and offender rehabilitation. Johnson City, TN: Institute of Social Sciences and Arts.
Rutter, M., Giller, H., Hagell, A. (1998). Antisocial behavior by young people. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sedikides, A. (1989). Relations between role-taking opportunities and moral judgement development (unpublished doctoral dissertation The Ohio State University).
Speicher, B., (1994). Family patterns of moral judgement during adolescence and early adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 30, 624-632.
Thornton, J. H., Reid, R. L. (1997). Moral reasoning and type of criminal offence. British Journal of Social Psychology, 21, 231-238.
Trempała, J. (1992). Rozumowanie moralne i odporność dzieci na pokusę oszustwa. Bydgoszcz: Wydawnictwo Uczelniane WSP w Bydgoszczy.
Valliant, P. M., Pottier, D., Gauthier, T., Kosmyna, R. (2000). Moral reasoning, interpersonal skills, and cognition of rapists, child molesters, and incest offenders. Psychological Reports, 86, 67-75.
Walker, L. [i in.] (2000). Parent and peer context for children’s moral reasoning development. Child Development, 71, 4, 1033-1048.
Walker, L., Hennig, K. H., Krettenauer, T. (2000). Parent and peer contexts for children’s moral reasoning development. Child Development, 71, 4, 1033-1048.
Walker, L., Taylor, J. H. (1991). Family interactions and the development of moral reasoning. Child Development, 62, 264-283.
Ward, T., Keenan, T., Hudson, S. M. (2000). Understanding cognitive, affective, and intimacy deficits in sexual offenders: A developmental perspective. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 5, 41-62.
Basinger, K. S., Gibbs, J. C., Fuller, D. (1995). Context and the measurement of moral judgement. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 18, 537-556.
Blasi, A. (1980). Bridging moral cognition and moral action: A critical review of the literature. Psychological Bulletin, 88, 1-45.
Blatt, M., Kohlberg, L. (1975). The effects of classroom moral discussion upon children’s moral judgement. Journal od Moral Education, 4, 129-161.
Boyes, M. C., Allen, S. G. (1993). Styles of parent-child interaction and moral reasoning in adolescence. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 39, 551-570.
Buck, L. Z., Walsh, W. F., Rothman, G. (1981) Relationship between parental judgement and socialization. Youth and Society, 13, 91-116.
Deater-Deckard, K., Dodge, K. A. (1997). Externalizing behavior problems and discipline revisited: Nonlinear effects and variations by culture, context and gender. Psychological Inquiry, 8, 161-175.
Farrington, D. P. (1996). Individual, family and peer factors in the development of delinquency. W: S. C. R. Hollin, K. Howells (red.), Clinical approaches to working with young offenders (s. 21-56). Chichester: Wiley.
Gibbs, J. C. (1993). Moral-cognitive interventions. W: A. P. Goldstein, C. R. Huff (red.), The gang intervention handbook (s. 159-185). Champaign, II: Research Press.
Gibbs, J. C. (2003). Moral development and reality. Beyond the theory of Kohlberg and Hoffman. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Gilligan, C. (1980). The effects of social institutions on the moral development of children and adolescents. Bulletin of The Menninger Clinic, 44, 5, 498-522.
Gregg, V., Gibbs, J. C., Basinger, K. S. (1994). Patterns of developmental delay in moral judgement by male and female delinquents. Merril-Palmer Quarterly, 40, 538-553.
Groth, J. (2003). Rozwój moralny a radzenie sobie ze stresem u nieletnich przestępców. Poznań: Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe.
Hart, D. (1988). A longitudinal study of adolescents’ socialization and identification as predictors of adult moral judgement development. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 34, 245-260.
Hart, C. H., Ladd, G. W., Burleson, B. R. (1990). Children’s expectations of the outcomes of social strategies: Relations with sociometric status and maternal disciplinary styles. Child Development, 61, 127-137.
Hoffman, M. L., Salzstein, H. D. (1967). Parent discipline and the child’s moral development. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 45-57.
Hudson, S. M., Ward, T. (2000). Interpersonal competency in sex offenders. Behavior Modification, 24, 494-527.
Kohlberg, L. (1969). Stage and sequence: The cognitive-developmental approach to socialization. W: D. A. Goslin (red.), Handbook of socialization on theory and research (s. 347-480). New York: Rand McNally.
Kohlberg, L. (1978). The cognitve developmental approach to behavior disordesr: A study of the development of moral reasoning in delinquents. W: G. Serban (red.), Cognitive defects in the development of mental illness (s. 207-219). New York: Brunner Mazel.
Kohlberg, L. (1984). Essays on moral development: The psychology of moral development (vol. 2). San Francisco: Harper and Row.
Kohlberg, L., Candee, D. (1984). The relation of moral judgement to moral action. W: J. L. Gewirtz, W. M. Kurtines (red.), Morality, moral development, and moral behavior. Basic issues in theory and research (s. 53-73). New York: Wiley Interscience.
Kruger, A. C. (1992). The effect of peer and adult-child transactive discussion on moral reasoning. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 38, 191-211.
Kruger, A. C., Tomasello, M. (1986). Transactive discussions with peers and adults. Developmental Psychology, 22, 681-685.
Liau, A. K., Barriga, A. Q., Gibbs, J. C. (1998). Relations between self-serving cognitive distortions and over vs. covert antisocial behavior in adolescents. Aggressive Behavior, 24, 335-346.
Marshall, W. L., Barbaree, H. E. (1990). An integrated theory of the etiology of sexual offending. W: W. L. Marshall, D. R. Laws, H. E. Barbaree (red.), Handbook of sexual assault: Issues, theories and treatment of the offender (s. 257-275). New York: Plenum.
Marshall, W. L., Hudson, S. M., Jones, R., Fernandez, Y. M. (1995). Empathy in sex offenders. Clinical Psychology Review, 15, 99-113.
McNamee, S. (1978). Moral behavior moral development and motivation. Journal of Moral Education, 7, 27-31.
Nelson, J. R., Smith, D. J., Dodd, J. (1990). The moral reasoning of juvenile delinquents: A meta-analysis. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 18, 231-239.
Palmer, E. J. (2000). Perceptions of parenting, social cognition and delinquency. Clinical Psycho-logy and Psychotherapy, 7, 303-309.
Palmer, E. J. (2003). An overview of the relationship between moral reasoning and offending. Australian Psychologist, 38, 165-174.
Palmer, E. J., Hollin, C. R. (1996). Sociomoral reasoning, perception of own parenting and self--reported delinquency. Personality and Individual Differences, 21, 175-182.
Palmer, E. J., Hollin, C. R. (1997). The influence of perceptions of own parenting on sociomoral reasoning, attributions for criminal behaviour, and self-reported delinquency. Personality and Individual Differences, 23, 193-197.
Palmer, E. J., Hollin, C. R. (1998). A comparison of patterns of moral development in young offenders and non-offenders. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 3, 225-235.
Palmer, E. J., Hollin, C. R. (2000). The inter-relations of sociomoral reasoning, perceptions of own parenting, attributions of intent with self-reported delinquency. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 3, 225-235.
Patterson, G. R. (1982). Coercive family processes. Eugene, PR: Castalia.
Piaget, J. (1932/1964). Rozwój ocen moralnych. Warszawa: PWN.
Power, F. C., Higgins, A., Kohlberg, L. (1989). Lawrence Kohlberg’s approach to moral education: A study of three democratic high schools. New York: Columbia University Press.
Powers, S. I. (1988). Moral judgement development within the family. Journal of Moral Education, 17, 209-219.
Ross, R. R., Fabiano, E. A. (1985). Time to think: A cognitive model of delinquency prevention and offender rehabilitation. Johnson City, TN: Institute of Social Sciences and Arts.
Rutter, M., Giller, H., Hagell, A. (1998). Antisocial behavior by young people. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sedikides, A. (1989). Relations between role-taking opportunities and moral judgement development (unpublished doctoral dissertation The Ohio State University).
Speicher, B., (1994). Family patterns of moral judgement during adolescence and early adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 30, 624-632.
Thornton, J. H., Reid, R. L. (1997). Moral reasoning and type of criminal offence. British Journal of Social Psychology, 21, 231-238.
Trempała, J. (1992). Rozumowanie moralne i odporność dzieci na pokusę oszustwa. Bydgoszcz: Wydawnictwo Uczelniane WSP w Bydgoszczy.
Valliant, P. M., Pottier, D., Gauthier, T., Kosmyna, R. (2000). Moral reasoning, interpersonal skills, and cognition of rapists, child molesters, and incest offenders. Psychological Reports, 86, 67-75.
Walker, L. [i in.] (2000). Parent and peer context for children’s moral reasoning development. Child Development, 71, 4, 1033-1048.
Walker, L., Hennig, K. H., Krettenauer, T. (2000). Parent and peer contexts for children’s moral reasoning development. Child Development, 71, 4, 1033-1048.
Walker, L., Taylor, J. H. (1991). Family interactions and the development of moral reasoning. Child Development, 62, 264-283.
Ward, T., Keenan, T., Hudson, S. M. (2000). Understanding cognitive, affective, and intimacy deficits in sexual offenders: A developmental perspective. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 5, 41-62.
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