Belief in a Just World, Prosocial Behavior, and Moral Disengagement in Adolescence

Abstract

This research examined the relationship among belief in a just world, prosocial behavior, and moral disengagement in a group of Sicilian adolescents, using the Personal Belief in a Just World Scale (Dalbert et al., 1987), Moral Disengagement Scale and Prosocial Behavior Scale (Caprara et al., 1991, 1995). Results showed that the youngest adolescents and boys tended to use the mechanisms of moral disengagement more than the others and girls. Boys were less likely to behave in prosocial way than girls; the more the adolescents believed in a just world the more they tended to realize prosocial behaviors. Additionally, the more the adolescents were inclined to behave in prosocial way the less they used almost all the mechanisms of moral disengagement.