Poster #32 - Developmental Trajectories of Moral Disengagement and Juvenile Offending: A Longitudinal Analysis of Juvenile offenders

• In Event: ASC Poster Session II

Abstract

This study examines the developmental interplay between moral disengagement and juvenile offending trajectories, with a specific focus on variances between first- and second-generation immigrant youth. Using Pathway to Desistance dataset, we hypothesize that juvenile offenders will cluster into distinct offending and moral disengagement trajectories. Then, we propose that these constructs exhibit reciprocal influence, such that higher levels of moral disengagement predict greater offending over time, while persistent offending reinforces disengaged moral cognition. Lastly, we anticipate that first-generation immigrant youth will be more likely to follow lower-risk trajectories than their second-generation counterparts. Findings supported the existence of five separate trajectory groups for self-reported offending as well as moral disengagement. With persistent disengagement associated with sustained offending over time, the dual trajectory model revealed a strong reciprocal relationship between moral disengagement and offending overtime. However, no statistically significant differences were found between first- and second-generation immigrant youth in trajectory group membership. This study provides practical implications for designing interventions aimed at reducing moral disengagement and antisocial behavior among juveniles and contributes to developmental and cultural frameworks in criminology.

Authors

• Juanita Mirekuaa Sefa, Temple University

• Shamim Ara Pia, Temple University