| Summary: | This research study was guided by four purposes. First, to compare the prosocial moral reasoning of juvenile delinquents with that of their non-delinquent peers. Second, to compare both empathy and perspective-taking between these two groups. Next, to explore and elucidate the
relationships among pro-social moral reasoning, empathy, and perspective-taking; and to examine the relationship of these constructs to dimensions of social behavior and aggression in delinquent and non-delinquent youth. And finally, to explore pro-social moral reasoning, empathy, and
perspective-taking within the delinquent sample. Forty juvenile delinquent males and 40 of their non-delinquent peers were matched in terms of age and ethnicity. All participants were individually
administered measures designed to assess pro-social moral reasoning, empathy, perspective-taking, and positive and negative social behaviors (via teacher and self-reports) in one 50-minute session.
Delinquent participants were classified into one of three subgroups on the basis of their scores on a self-report measure of aggression against persons and property; (a) low aggression-against-persons and low aggression-against-property, (b) high aggression-against-persons and low
aggression-against-property, and (c) high aggression-against-persons and high aggression-against-property.
The results generally revealed that delinquent participants were lower in pro-social moral reasoning, empathy, and perspective-taking than their non-delinquent peers. Further, significant relationships were found among the variables of pro-social moral reasoning, empathy, perspective-taking,
positive and negative indices of social behavior, and type of aggression. Finally,
delinquent adolescents classified into the subgroup scoring high on both aggression-against-persons and aggression-against-property were found to score significantly lower on both empathy
and perspective-taking than delinquents classified as scoring low on both types of aggression. No significant differences were found among any of the three delinquent subgroups on pro-social moral
reasoning. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the strengths and limitations of the present study and suggestions for future research.
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