Moral disengagement is a process of cognitive restructuring that allows individuals to disassociate from their internal moral standards and behave unethically without feeling distressed. It has been described as a key predictor of maladaptive behaviors (e.g., delinquency, aggression, and cyberbullying) and as a mediator between individual variables and unethical outcomes (e.g., empathy and aggression). We aimed to provide evidence of validity based on the internal structure, reliability, and correlations with other constructs of the most used instrument to measure disengagement from moral self-sanctions: Bandura’s Mechanisms of Moral Disengagement Scale (MMDS). A non-probabilistic national sample of 528 Chilean adolescents from 14 to 18 years participated in the study. The results showed that the 10-item version of the MMDS had a unidimensional structure and good internal consistency. As expected, the MMDS-10 showed positive and medium correlations with abusive, violent antisocial, and delinquent behaviors and negative and medium associations with prosocial behavior and empathy. Additionally, moral disengagement fully mediated the relationship between empathy and violent antisocial behavior, supporting the hypothesis on moral disengagement as a self-regulatory cognitive process. The results confirm previous research, and the findings are discussed in terms of their implications for reducing the use of moral disengagement strategies in adolescence.

Revista Iberoamericana de Psicología y Salud

ResumenLa investigación tuvo como objetivo estudiar el grado de equivalencia psicométrica del Cuestionario para Evaluar Clima Social del Centro Escolar (CECSCE) en adolescentes chilenos y colombianos. Los participantes fueron seleccionados a partir de un muestreo no probabilístico intencionado en 11 establecimientos públicos y particulares subvencionados de Chile y Colombia. Participaron 1233 adolescentes de ambos sexos, con una edad promedio de 14.82 (DT = 1.83). Los resultados obtenidos a partir de los análisis factoriales confirmatorios ratificaron la estructura de 2 factores correlacionados en la muestra chilena con el índice chi-cuadrado de Satorra Bentler(76)=175.664, p<.001; índice de ajuste comparativo=.956; índice de Tucker-Lewis=.948; error cuadrático medio de aproximación=.044 (IC90%=.035-.052) y en la muestra colombiana con el índice chi-cuadrado de Satorra Bentler(76)=131.508, p<.001; índice de ajuste comparativo=.942; índice de Tucker-Lewis=.931; error cuadrático medio de aproximación=.037 (IC90%=.026-.047). El análisis de invarianza factorial evidenció que el grado de equivalencia transcultural del instrumento se presenta plausible a nivel de invarianza de configuración (M1=Δ índice chi-cuadrado de Satorra Bentler=35.583; Δgl=12; p<.001; Δíndice de ajuste comparativo=.007). La escala presentó adecuados índices de fiabilidad por consistencia interna y homogeneidad.AbstractThis study aims to determine the degree of psychometric equivalence of the questionnaire for evaluating School Social Climate in Chilean and Colombian adolescents. Using an intentional non-probability sampling, the adolescents were selected from 11 public schools and subsidised private schools in Chile and Colombia. The study involved 1,233 adolescents of both sexes, with a mean age of 14.82 years (SD=1.83). The results from confirmatory factor analysis ratified the correlated two-factor structure in the Chilean sample Satorra Bentler's chi-square(76)=175.664, P<.001; comparative fit index=.956; Tucker-Lewis index=.948; root mean square error of approximation=.044 (90% CI=.035-.052), and in the Colombian sample Satorra Bentler's chi-square(76)=131.508, P<.001; comparative fit index=.942; Tucker-Lewis index=.931; root mean square error of approximation=.037 (90% CI=.026-.047). Invariance factorial analysis showed that the cross cultural level of the instrument is plausible at invariance configuration level (M1=ΔSatorra Bentler's chi-square=35.583; Δgl=12; P<.001; Δcomparative fit index=.007). The resulting scale depicted adequate indices of reliability for internal consistency and homogeneity

En este artículo, en la modalidad de ensayo, se analiza la construcción de identidad en jóvenes infractores de ley a partir del resultado de un conjunto de investigaciones realizadas con población infanto-juvenil urbana, que vive en condiciones de pobreza en regiones del sur de Chile. Estas investigaciones desarrolladas durante más de dos décadas, primero de tipo cualitativo y luego cuantitativo, permiten identificar particularidades en el proceso de construcción de identidad, que hacen posible plantear una identidad delictiva conformada en un proceso de larga data en niños y adolescentes que viven la experiencia de desadaptación social, apreciándose diferentes trayectorias persistentes en el tiempo. En adolescentes que construyen una identidad que valida la delincuencia como forma de vida, si bien se identifican factores de riesgos en diversos planos, similares a los que la literatura destaca, en la realidad estudiada aparecen importantes condiciones contextuales (dinámica familiar, condiciones barriales, experiencias escolares y con programas de intervención, etc.) que desempeñan un papel de relevancia que valida y refuerza esa identidad.

Evidence from several longitudinal studies has established the relevance of the approach of evolutionary criminology to understanding and intervening with adolescent criminal offenders, seeking to halt the criminal behavior before its potential consolidation in adulthood. The aim of this study is to present the psychometric properties of the Criminal Engagement Severity Scale (EGED) to discriminate between transitory and persistent delinquency in Chilean adolescents of both sexes. The characteristics of the sample are revealed through descriptive analyses, and evidence of validity and reliability is provided that show its discriminant capacity using ROC curves and odds ratios, measures of internal consistency (Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s Ω), intraclass correlation, and unidimensional statistics. The results indicate that the EGED adequately discriminates between transitory and persistent delinquency, so that its use in contexts of assessment and intervention with adolescent criminal offenders can be recommended, because it helps to determine the intensity of the intervention required.