Familial Influences on the Moral Reasoning of Adolescent First-time Offenders

Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess the family's influence on the moral reasoning of adolescent first-time offenders. Specifically, this study explored the relationship between the adolescent's level of moral reasoning and the parent's level of moral reasoning; the parent's style of parenting; the level of family functioning; the adolescent's age; the adolescent's gender; and the family's socio-economic status. It was hoped that the research findings might be used in the development of adolescent crime prevention programs.

Although this sample of adolescents demonstrated a significantly lower level of moral reasoning as compared with adolescents of the same age in the general population, there were no significant relationships found between the adolescents' moral reasoning level and the six variables. There were, however, statistically significant relationships between particular parenting styles and the level of family health. Discussion on these results, the study's limitations, and suggestions for future research were then presented.
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