Swiss Children's Moral and Psychological Judgments About Inclusion and Exclusion of Children With Disabilities

Abstract

Children's judgments about inclusion and exclusion of children with disabilities were investigated in a Swiss sample of 6-, 9-, and 12-year-old children from inclusive and noninclusive classrooms (N = 422). Overall, the majority of children judged it as morally wrong to exclude children with disabilities. Yet, participants were less likely to expect the inclusion of children with mental or physical disabilities in academic and athletic contexts compared to social contexts. Moreover, older children more consistently coordinated disability type with context of exclusion. There were also significant differences depending on the type of classroom. The findings extend existing research on exclusion by investigating exclusion based on disability across different age groups and educational settings.

A Developmental Perspective on Moral Emotions

“…Although not many studies have investigated the development of emotions in these contexts, the existing findings indicate a more complex picture of the development of moral emotions. For example, a study on children's emotions in contexts of exclusion of children with different disabilities found an expected developmental increase in the anticipation of moral emotions, such as guilt, to excluders, from 6 to 12 years of age (Gasser, Malti, & Buholzer, 2013).…”

Moral Judgments and Emotions in Contexts of Peer Exclusion and Victimization

“…Based on a sample of 442 children from Switzerland, the researchers studied how 6-, 9-, and 12-year-old children judge and feel about exclusion based on disabilities (Gasser et al, 2014). Overall, the majority of children judged as morally wrong to exclude children with mental or physical disabilities.…”

“…(B) Expected moral emotions to excluders of children with physical disabilities by age group and situational context (i.e., social vs. athletic). (A) Reprinted data fromGasser et al (2014). (B) Reprinted data fromGasser et al (2014).…”

Children’s and adolescents’ moral emotion attributions and judgements about exclusion of peers with hearing impairments

“…Only recent research has investigated how kindergarten and elementary school children (6-to 12-years-old) balance these considerations in situations describing inclusion and exclusion on the basis of disability (Diamond & Tu, 2009;Gasser, Chilver-Stainer, Buholzer, & Perrig-Chiello, 2012;Gasser, Malti, & Buholzer, 2013a, 2013b. This research has revealed that the majority of children condemned social exclusion based on disability for moral reasons.…”