The way children evaluate the reporting of peers' transgressions to authority figures was investigated. Participants, ages 6 -11 years (N = 60), were presented with a series of vignettes, each of which depicted a child who committed either a minor transgression (such as not finishing the vegetables at lunch) or a more serious transgression (such as stealing from a classmate). Participants were asked to evaluate the decision of a child observer who either did or did not report the transgression to a teacher. Younger children considered reporting to be appropriate for both types of transgressions, but older children considered reporting to be appropriate for major transgressions only. Results are interpreted with reference to (a) a changing peer culture in which the social cost of reporting transgressions increases and (b) a developmental change in children's cognitive capabilities.
Keywordstattling; truth-telling; moral evaluation; honesty From an early age, children are taught that it is important to tell the truth (Bussey, 1992). However, telling the truth sometimes comes into conflict with other social values, such as protecting people's feelings (Bussey, 1999;Ma, Xu, Heyman, & Lee, 2011). The present research focuses on another context in which truth-telling can conflict with other social values: when reporting the transgressions of peers to authority figures. student who helps to enforce rules that promote fairness, or they might consider such reporting to be disloyal. Reporting on transgressions also has broader societal implications, such as in promoting efforts for harm prevention (Brank et al., 2007;Syvertsen, Flanagan, & Stout, 2009).Children engage in tattling behavior-defined as the reporting of another person's violation of a normative expectation to a third party-starting as early as 18 months of age (Dunn & Munn, 1985). In preschool and early primary school-age children, tattling is prevalent and does not generally carry negative consequences (den Bak & Ross, 1996;Ingram & Bering, 2010;Ross & den Bak-Lammers, 1998). In contrast, in adolescence there can be substantial negative consequences (Friman et al., 2004), such as being labeled as a "snitch" or "narc" (Syvertsen et al., 2009). Even without an objective increase in the social costs of tattling, older children may worry more about potential costs as they become increasingly aware of how they are likely to be perceived by others (Banerjee & Yuill, 1999;Bennett & Yeeles, 1990;Gee & Heyman, 2007;Heyman, Fu, & Lee, 2007;Juvonen & Murdock, 1995;Vasey, Crnic, & Carter, 1994).Evaluations of the reporting of transgressions may depend upon the type of transgression involved (Nucci, 1981(Nucci, , 2001Smetana, 2006;Turiel, 2008). For example, children as young as 3 years of age tend to view violations of moral rules, such as treating someone unfairly, as more serious and more generally wrong than violations of social conventions, such as using inappropriate table manners (Smetana & Braeges, 1990;Smetana, Schlagman, & Adams, 1993). Furthermore, eve...
