A Comparative Study on the Development of Moral Recognition

between Normal Youths and Juvenile Delinquents

Chien-Ann Cheng, M.Ed.

Chih-Yi Wu, Ph.D.

Feng-Jihu Lee, Ph.D.

Abstract

        This research, based on the moral-cognitive theory of J. C. Gibbs, K.S. Basinger and D. Fuller, employs Sociomoral Reflection Measure – Short Form (SRM-SF) as a research instrument for open-ended interviews. It is aimed to investigate the moral-cognitive developmental stage between normal youths and juvenile delinquents, along with the relationship between their moral reasoning, moral norms and actual behaviors. This research is also intended to make discrimination in social recognition, reasoning structures and processes among different kinds of juvenile delinquency, such as drug-addiction, violent offence and theft. Participants of each category are purposively sampled from juvenile correctional institutes.

        The research findings are as the following:

(1) The normal youths’ moral-cognitive development is at Stage 3, higher than all the delinquent participants’.

(2) The violent young offenders’ moral development is at Stage 2, lower than the other two delinquent participants’.

(3) All the normal youths’ moral value norms are higher than that of those delinquent groups.

(4) The violent young offenders show the lowest in the value norm of Life. The youths committed theft-crime show the lowest in the value norm of Property.

(5) The biggest difference between normal youths and delinquents is in the value norm of Law.

        According to the findings, the researchers propose several suggestions for correctional practices: (1) adopting the model of moral-cognitive development constructed by this research to do in-depth investigation into juvenile delinquents’ behaviors, (2) implementing different kinds of treatment to different kinds of delinquency, (3) improving delinquent youths’ moral value norms of Law and Justice, (4) incorporating a model of social cognitive treatment into young offenders’ correctional programs, and (5) constructing a set of moral-cognitive development curriculum for youths to prevent them from offending the law or committing any criminal conducts.

一般少年與不同犯罪類型少年間道德認知發展之比較研究

陳建安

國立中正大學犯罪防治研究所碩士

                             吳芝儀                                                           李奉儒

    國立中正大學犯罪防治研究所副教授      國立中正大學教育學研究所副教授

摘要

本研究乃係奠基於Gibbs等人(1992)的道德認知發展理論，並應用其編製之「社會道德反思評量—簡式」（Sociomoral Reflection Measure – Short Form, SRM-SF）作為深度訪談綱要，以探究一般少年及不同類型犯罪少年的道德認知發展階段、道德推理及道德價值規範與行為之關係，並區辨犯罪類型間社會認知、推理結構與歷程之差異。本研究參與者乃立意選取自一般少年、毒品、暴力及竊盜犯罪少年共十二名，進行深度訪談之比較研究。

本研究有下列各項重要發現：(1)一般少年道德認知發展階段約在第3階段，並高於三種犯罪類型少年。(2) 暴力犯罪少年道德認知發展約在不成熟之第2階段，且低於毒品犯罪少年及竊盜犯罪少年之第2/3階段。(3)一般少年道德價值規範發展皆高於所有犯罪類型少年。(4)暴力犯罪少年在生命價值規範發展最低，竊盜犯罪少年在財產價值規範發展最低，法律規範在是所有道德規範中發展最低。(5)在道德推理中，毒品犯罪少年持「傷害之否定」、「無被害者」、「行為嚴重性低」為推理核心，暴力犯罪少年則以「自我滿足」、「理性抉擇與計算」、「傷害之否定」為推理核心，竊盜犯罪少年是以「對刑罰之輕視」、「行為之合理化」、「自我滿足與中心」為推理核心。

奠基於本研發現，提出數項有關實務工作上的建議：(1)應用本研究所建構之道德認知發展行為模式，深入瞭解少年犯罪行為。(2)依不同犯罪類型實施特別處遇及預防。(3)提升犯罪少年法律與合法正義之道德價值規範發展。(4)犯罪行為處遇，需加入社會認知建構的矯正處遇部分。(5) 建構一套結合認知與發展觀點之道德教育相關課程，以預防青少年涉入各類型犯罪問題。

 關鍵字：道德認知發展、道德推理、道德價值規範、犯罪少年