Moral Disengagement Essay

The Role of Moral Disengagement in the Development of Antisocial Behavior within Children

The role of moral disengagement plays a big role in the child’s life, as parents who should set great examples and be role models; sometimes they don’t engage in the child’s life as they should. The opposite happens that causes moral disengagement and behavioral problems amongst children. The effects on the child can start from an early age, from rejecting parents leading teenagers to go through an Antisocial Behavior stage or delinquency; to lifelong problems. Depending on the child’s appeal towards the situation that they have been through, and how it has affected them. But not all parents believe that moral disengagement is associated with the Anti-social

There are children who have become victims of rejecting parent’s actions that influence abuse and violence. Children who experience such harm will continue the cycle, if the child does not seek help. Parents might not acknowledge the effects the child can experience at such a young age. Some parents are too busy being involved in their own negative behavior. Including the minimization of one’s own agentive role in harming others. In this case, people tend to discharge their responsibility by blaming others or circumstances or by showing indifference or a lack of concern. Which leads parents to be unhappy and have a disrupted family relationship, that may cause martial problems within parents. When parents are divorced their main concern is, what are “they” going to do? Where are they going to live? Who gets what in the house? And who gets the children first. Parents are under a lot pressure and decision making, but do they know how the child feels? Under the influence of parents who have their own issues and distress. Parents need to acknowledge, comfort and reassure; then find ways of overcoming the child’s distress as well. Parents and children seeking for help would be the best outcome. Visiting a counselor would be a way for the parent to seek help and get advice through what they are experiencing,

The Child will not understand what and caused their behavior to be aggressive and why. Disengagement practices will not instantly transform considerate persons into cruel ones. Rather, the change is achieved by gradual disengagement of self-censure. People may not even recognize the changes they are undergoing. The child may start with aggressive attitude if that’s what the child see’s or experiences at home. Some children start from the ages of six-twelve the child will start to bully, get into stealing and will constantly lie in order to save themselves from their actions. During the teenage years they start to seek attention elsewhere and begin to involve themselves with violence and drugs and later on delinquency, if not helped. The higher the moral disengagement and the weaker the perceived self-efficacy to resist peer pressure for transgressive activities, the heavier the involvement in antisocial conduct. They start to experience detached attitude from parents. Less caring in school, they start to detach themselves from peers and friends. They might follow into bad influences to feel comfort within themselves. The children seek attention as well by harming others or not behaving the proper way. To the child they might not see a wrong to their actions, since they are used to the lifestyle that they see their parents play a role