Moral Disengagement and Aggression: Comments on the Special Issue

Abstract

This special issue on relationship between moral disengagement and aggression brings together nine sophisticated as well as theoretically, methodologically and analytically stimulating studies. Three of articles are concerned with individual characteristics that moderate (or buffer or aggravate) impact of moral disengagement on aggression or include moral disengagement as a moderator on link between individual characteristics and aggression. Three address trajectories and age-related changes by exploring developmental pathways of moral disengagement and aggression, while remaining three treat moral disengagement in its situational context in school and family and raise questions of socialization. Besides summarizing and discussing nine articles, this commentary raises some critical issues-for example, regarding assessment of moral developmental processes.For past decade, a growing, but still rather small group of international researchers have studied moral disengagement and its relation to prosocial and antisocial/aggressive behaviors in children and adolescents (including both traditional bullying and cyberbullying). Although much has been learned about both concurrent and longitudinal (inter) relationships (e.g., Barchia & Bussey, 2011; Gini, 2006; Hymel, Schonert-Reichl, Bonanno, Vaillancourt, & Rocke Henderson, 2010; Perren & Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, 2012), crucial issues regarding these relationships are still (partly) unresolved-for example, with respect to contextual and situational factors (e.g., see recent review by Gini, Pozzoli, & Hymel, 2014). This special issue on moral disengagement and aggression is result of a recent initiative bringing together many of these researchers in order to critically reflect on both conceptual and methodological foundations of this research and to develop avenues for future research. In this commentary, I discuss articles and their joint contribution towards advancement of theorizing and research in field against background of avenues suggested, namely (1) age-related changes (emergence of moral disengagement; precursors of moral disengagement; changes in moral standards, emotions, and justifications); (2) trajectories (Who is becoming morally disengaged? How and why?); (3) situational processes (situational variations; interplay between moral standards, emotions, justifications, and behavior; cognitive dissonance); (4) contextual effects (family, peers, and school; subcultural norms); and (5) interventions (moral disengagement as a mediator; morality as an intervention goal). Before doing so, core elements of Bandura's social cognitive theory of human agency (e.g., Bandura, 2002; Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli, 1996; Bandura, Caprara, Barbaranelli, & Pastorelli, 2001), which lies at heart of this research, are briefly characterized to establish a common reference point with respect to conceptual and methodological issues raised later.The social cognitive theory of human agency offers an inclusive conceptual framework within which moral dimensions of aggressive and antisocial behaviors can be described. According to Bandura (2002), moral agency involves both the power to refrain from behaving inhumanely and proactive power to behave humanely (p. 101). Based on understanding that individuals monitor and regulate their behavior by anticipating consequences for self and others, anticipatory self-pride (for morally good behavior) and self-blame (for morally bad behavior) ensure that behavior is enacted in concordance with personal moral standards (Paciello, Fida, Tramontano, Lupinetti, & Caprara, 2008). Still, individuals can enact behaviors that are not concordant with these (individual as well as social) moral standards while claiming to adhere to them. By disconnecting moral thought and moral action, they avoid feelings of conflict, guilt, or remorse. …