When I hurt others, and when I get hurt: Integrating victim and perpetrator experiences of harm into a sense of moral agency

Abstract

In a social world, occasionally we all will harm others, as well as be harmed. Previous research has focused largely on how perpetration and victimization events are distinct rather than on how they might be integrated with one another, jointly shaping moral agency. We report on an exploratory qualitative analysis of narratives about perpetration and victimization. Our sample included 30 participants divided evenly by gender and age (ages 11-12, 16-17, and 19-26). Our aims were: (a) to identify potential forms of integration in moral agency across perpetration and victimization; (b) to explore developmental paths in integration; and (c) to examine forms of integration that were not tied directly to the construction of moral agency.We found three frequent integration patterns: harm was similarly understandable in perpetrator and victim narratives; harm was similarly incomprehensible in perpetrator and victim narratives; and harm was understandable in perpetration narratives but incomprehensible in victim narratives. Other forms of integration suggestive of how diminished moral agency can be reclaimed via narrative also were identified. K E Y W O R D S identity, moral development, narrative | 821 PASUPATHI And WAInRYB

Intraindividual Variability in Narrative Identity: Complexities, Garden Paths, and Untapped Research Potential

“…Small‐scale, qualitative approaches could be useful to identify promising areas for this type of research (e.g. Pasupathi & Wainryb, 2018; Schachter, 2004). Note, too, that qualitative approaches could permit examination of people's experience of variability over time.…”

“…Despite the rise of frameworks for examining personality along multiple levels (Cervone, 2004; McAdams, 1996) and the increasing evidence that narrative approaches provide important insights about personality beyond trait and motivational level frameworks (Adler, Lodi–Smith, Philippe, & Houle, 2016), there is relatively little examination of within–person variability in narrative (for exceptions, see Dunlop, 2015; McLean et al, 2017; Pasupathi & Oldroyd, 2015). The primary goal of our paper is to provide an organizing frame for examining IIV at the narrative level of personality (McAdams, 1996) and to document an initial investigation of some approaches to narrative IIV.…”

Intra-individual Variability in Narrative Identity: Complexities, Garden Paths, and Untapped Research Potential

“…Such approaches require relatively large samples -of both people and stories, and depending on the unknown distributions of those three profiles, the sample requirements may be prohibitively large. Small-scale, qualitative approaches could be useful to identify promising areas for this type of research (e.g., Pasupathi & Wainryb, 2018;Schachter, 2004). Note, too, that qualitative approaches could permit examination of people's experience of variability over time.…”