Desconexión moral y delincuencia juvenil severa: metaanálisis de su asociación / Moral disengagement and serious juvenile crime: a meta-analysis about its relationship

Resumen Numerosas investigaciones se han centrado en analizar los vínculos entre la desconexión moral y las conductas antisociales o delictivas en población juvenil, con variados resultados. Este estudio tiene como objetivo principal estimar la magnitud y dirección de la relación entre la desconexión moral y la delincuencia juvenil, así como analizar la influencia de una serie de variables moderadoras, para lo cual se empleó la técnica del metaanálisis. Se aplicó un modelo de efectos aleatorios para obtener el tamaño del efecto promedio y para explorar moderadores. Se obtuvo un total de 20 estudios primarios, con una muestra acumulada de 10061 individuos, y un tamaño de efecto resultante de r = .35 (p < .001). Se estableció un modelo predictivo con una única variable moderadora: el tipo de delito, mostrando que la importancia de la desconexión moral aumenta notablemente cuando se incrementa la gravedad del delito (r = .45, p < .001). Se concluye que la tendencia a la desconexión moral puede considerarse como un factor de riesgo relevante para la delincuencia juvenil y más relevante todavía en relación con delitos graves. Este resultado contribuye a consolidar a las dimensiones morales como un factor clave a considerar en el diseño de futuras investigaciones, así como en las estrategias de prevención e intervención de diferentes tipologías delictivas.

Abstract Several researches have focused on analyzing the links between moral disengagement and illegal behaviours in young population showing different results. The main aim of this review was to estimate the relationship between moral disengagement and juvenile delinquency, as well as to analyze the influence of certain moderating variables. A random effects model was used in the meta-analytic review in order to settle the average effect magnitude and obtain the moderating effects of demographic and methodological variables. A total of 20 independent studies were obtained involving 10061 youths. Moral disengagement has been found to be associated with juvenile delinquency (r = .35, p < .001). Concurrently, the effect magnitude increases as it does the seriousness of the crime (r = .45, p < .001) which settles the type of crime as a significant moderator. In conclusion, moral disengagement and severe juvenile crime share a powerful relationship, which stablishes the moral disengagement as a relevant risk factor for the juvenile delinquency. This result suggests that the moral dimension is a key factor to take into account in the design of future research, as well as accomplishing prevention and intervention strategies for different types of crime.

Moral reasoning in adolescent offenders: A meta-analytic review / Razonamiento moral en adolescents infractores: una revisión sistemática

BACKGROUND: Moral reasoning and its association with various types of behavior have been the subject of many studies in Psychology. Specifically, moral reasoning has been widely related to juvenile delinquency in the research about the subject. OBJECTIVES: this review integrates more than 70 years of scientific research into the differences in moral reasoning between adolescent offenders and non-offenders with a view to elucidating the relationship between moral reasoning and juvenile delinquency with provision for the potential moderating effect of demographic and methodological variables. METHOD: We conducted a meta-analytic review whose target population was young offenders between 11 and 20 years old. RESULTS: A search for literature on the target topic retrieved a total of 72 studies with a moderated effect size (r = -.336). The most salient finding was that effect sizes were significant for all subgroups of moderating variables. CONCLUSIONS: This result suggests a powerful relationship between moral reasoning and officially recorded juvenile delinquency that cannot be exclusively ascribed to sociodemographic or methodological variables. There remain some unsolved challenges in this field, however, which are briefly commented on

ANTECEDENTES: el estudio de la asociación entre razonamiento moral y diversos comportamientos ha ocupado numerosos estudios en Psicología. Específicamente, el razonamiento moral ha sido ampliamente relacionado con la delincuencia juvenil a lo largo de dichas investigaciones. OBJETIVOS: este estudio pretende integrar más de 70 años de producción científica acerca de la búsqueda de sus iguales no infractores en razonamiento moral entre menores infractores y teniendo en cuenta el posible poder moderador tanto de variables demográficas como metodológicas. MÉTODO: se lleva a cabo una revisión meta-analítica cuya población objetivo fue menores infractores entre 11 y 20 años. RESULTADOS: se obtuvo una muestra de 72 estudios, obteniendo un tamaño de efecto moderado de r= -.336. Se observa que los tamaños de efecto para los subgrupos que conforman las variables moderadoras son significativos. CONCLUSIÓN: este resultado sugiere que la relación entre razonamiento moral y delincuencia juvenil es potente y no solo atribuible a características metodológicas o sociodemográficas de la muestra. Se finaliza con una reflexión sobre algunos retos pendientes en este campo

Moral reasoning in adolescent offenders: A meta-analytic review.

BACKGROUND: Moral reasoning and its association with various types of behavior have been the subject of many studies in Psychology. Specifically, moral reasoning has been widely related to juvenile delinquency in the research about the subject. OBJECTIVES: this review integrates more than 70 years of scientific research into the differences in moral reasoning between adolescent offenders and non-offenders with a view to elucidating the relationship between moral reasoning and juvenile delinquency with provision for the potential moderating effect of demographic and methodological variables. METHOD: We conducted a meta-analytic review whose target population was young offenders between 11 and 20 years old. RESULTS: A search for literature on the target topic retrieved a total of 72 studies with a moderated effect size (r = -.336). The most salient finding was that effect sizes were significant for all subgroups of moderating variables. CONCLUSIONS: This result suggests a powerful relationship between moral reasoning and officially recorded juvenile delinquency that cannot be exclusively ascribed to sociodemographic or methodological variables. There remain some unsolved challenges in this field, however, which are briefly commented on.