Las Experiencias de los Adolescentes con el Delito ¿Afectan su Postura Moral ante la Delincuencia?
Abstract
The objective of this study is to examine how experiences with crime, either as a victim or as an offender, influence adolescents’ moral stance toward crime. The data were drawn from the fourth edition of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD4), collected in 92 schools across six cities in Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela, with a total sample of 5,407 students aged 13 to 17. Structural equation modelling showed that previous experiences with victimization or delinquent behaviour had direct effects on adolescents’ current moral posture, assessed through moral beliefs and anticipated shame (if discovered committing a crime). This effect was mediated by closeness to parents and to delinquent peers. The implications of these results are discussed, emphasizing the role that crime prevention may play in shaping adolescents’ moral postures.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Crime Patterns and Interventions
Social Issues and Policies in Latin America
Bullying
Victimization
and Aggression
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Revista Española de Investigación Criminológica
- Publisher
- Sociedad Espanola de Investigacion Criminologica
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- e988–e988
- Publication date
- 23 January 2026
- Language
- ES