The relationships between moral reasoning, self-esteem, perceived locus of control, and perceptions of moral responsibility in community college students

Abstract

Research is confirming that in the United States, an increase in moral problems and in violence is occurring within society at large, as well as within educational settings (Curcio & First, 1993; Juhnke & Purkey, 1995; Lockwood, 1993; Schwallie-Giddis, 1994; Williams, 1992). At the same time, people seem to be increasingly reluctant to accept blame and acknowledge personal responsibility for their own immoral behaviors (Carifio & Lanza, 1992; Garcia, 1995). Several television documentaries (ABC, 10-26-94; CBS, 1-26-95; NBC, 10-18-94) have suggested that Americans are becoming a nation of victims, not in the usual sense of being victims of crimes, but in the sense of individuals not accepting personal responsibility for immoral or aggressive behaviors, because of alleged causal incidents or situations which may have happened to them in the past.