Exploring Morality as a Mediator of the Association Between Parenting Practices and Violent and Property Offending Among a Sample of Juvenile Delinquents

Abstract

Prior research has consistently shown that parenting practices have a direct impact on the levels of delinquency in children and on the development of their moral beliefs. Several studies have also found support for a link between levels of moral reasoning and offending. Using a sample of juvenile delinquents, this research tested the ability of morality to act as a mediator for the association between parenting practices and delinquency. Results supported the findings of past research in terms of the direct effects of parenting on juvenile offending. The mediation hypothesis received partial support. No mediation effects were detected when violent offending was the dependent variable, but the direct effects of parental hostility on property offending were mediated by moral disengagement.

Assessing the Links Between Parenting Practices, Moral Emotions, and Cyberbullying Perpetrations Among a Sample of Iranian Sports Fans

“…Specifically, both mother’s and father’s ineffective parenting practices predicted lower moral identity and moral values in the structural equation model, which in turn predicted significant increases in the incidence of cyberbullying. This finding is congruent with prior research that has shown that morality can mediate between parenting practices and delinquent behaviors (Ishoy, 2017; Svensson et al, 2013, 2017).…”

Moral Disengagement and School Bullying Perpetration in Middle Childhood: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study in Sweden

“…Prior research has found that poor and harsh parenting has been associated with higher levels of moral disengagement (Campaert, Nocentini, & Menesini, 2018;Wang, Wu, & Chong, 2019). High parental monitoring and low parental hostility, on the other hand, reduce the risk of moral disengagement (Ishoy, 2017). In a recent study, Qi (2019) found that harsh parenting was both directly and indirectly related to aggression via moral disengagement.…”

Factors in Assessing Recidivism Risk in Young Offenders

“…Family support brings greater resources and better relational networks, making at-risk adolescents better able to cope [19,20], and parents' commitment to their children's education is associated with a high level of prosociality [21]. Positive parentality constitutes a definite deterrent to crime [22] because it is accompanied by support in education and connection with the world of work [23]. Attachment to school is considered a protective factor against criminal behavior because it links the adolescent to an educational setting structured by rules [23][24][25].…”