3-109 - Group and Personal Influences on Moral Disengagement and Aggression: New Directions in International Research

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

In this symposium, international researchers from Europe, South-America, and Australia, address the role of moral disengagement (a process used to self-justify immoral conduct) in bullying and aggressive episodes. Considerable research has shown strong associations between the use of moral disengagement (MD) strategies and bullying and aggression (Bandura, 2002). This symposium advances understanding of this association by presenting next generation research that extends examination of MD from the individual to the group level and examines the role of personal factors such as normative aggressive beliefs and mindfulness in influencing this association.
Paper 1 shows that class MD, but not individual MD, was associated with increased peer victimization: Class climate had a negative effect and class MD had a positive effect on peer victimization. Paper 2 continues the theme of examining the influence of group processes on MD. In situations of interpersonal vs. intergroup bullying, minority status and participant roles behaviour affected MD for bullying. Paper 3 examines the interplay between bullying, normative beliefs about aggression and MD showing that the acceptability of aggression mediated almost all of the associations between bullying and MD. Paper 4 shows that mindfulness moderates the MD and aggression association by weakening this link for older children who were more able to use mindfulness techniques.
These studies advance knowledge on the role of MD at the group (Papers 1, 2) and personal levels (Papers 3, 4). The presenters will consider the implications of their findings for a broader account of MD that encompasses personal and group influences.

Sub Unit

• Moral Development

Chairs

• Kay Bussey, Macquarie University

• SIMONA CARLA SILVIA CARAVITA, Universita' Cattolica

Individual Presentations

• The Role of Class Climate and Class Moral Disengagement in Peer Victimization among Pre-Adolescents - Presenting Author: Robert Thornberg, Linkoping University; Linda Wänström, 10Charge

• Moral Disengagement in Interpersonal and Intergroup Bullying: Participant Roles Affect Self Justifications in the two Situations - Presenting Author: SIMONA CARLA SILVIA CARAVITA, Universita' Cattolica; Dagmar Strohmeier, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria; Paola Di Blasio, CRIdee, Università Cattolica; Christina Salmivalli, University of Turku

• Associations of Moral Disengagement with Bullying and Acceptability of Aggression: A First Test among Chilean Children - Presenting Author: Christian Berger, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; SIMONA CARLA SILVIA CARAVITA, Universita' Cattolica

• Mindfulness as a Moderator of the Aggression and Moral Disengagement Association - Presenting Author: Kay Bussey, Macquarie University; Catherine Quinn, Macquarie University