Citation

Palmer EJ, Hollin CR. Leg. Crim. Psychol. 1998; 3(2): 225-235.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, British Psychological Society, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.2044-8333.1998.tb00363.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Purpose. This study investigates the patterns of moral reasoning among male delinquents, and male and female non-delinquents. It is hypothesized that the delinquents' moral reasoning will be particularly delayed on questions related to offending behaviour.Methods. The moral reasoning of 210 female non-offenders, 122 male nonoffenders, and 126 convicted offenders between 13 and 22 years of age was assessed using the Sociomoral Reflection Measure-Short Form. A self-reported delinquency checklist was also administered to allow for investigation of the delinquency/moral reasoning relationship within the officially delinquent and non-delinquent groups.Results. Analyses of covariance revealed that male delinquents had significantly poorer moral reasoning than the male non-delinquents across 10 of the 11 questions on the measure and all five moral values assessed. Female non-delinquents showed significantly higher moral judgment than male non-delinquents on seven of the questions and four moral values. Within each sample, moral reasoning was poorer on the moral values pertaining to offending behaviour, and among the male delinquents the score on the life value item was significantly higher than the other values.Conclusions. The findings suggest that delinquents have both value-specific, and global deficits in their moral reasoning, with less mature reasoning exhibited in those value areas relating to delinquent behaviour. This suggests that interventions aimed at changing moral reasoning should be directed at raising levels of moral reasoning in these areas.

Language: en