Belonging to and exclusion from the peer group in schools: influences on adolescents' moral choices

Abstract

This paper reports on a mixed methods study of adolescents' responses to case material about social exclusion. First, a qualitative coding method is presented that describes the way adolescents choose and justify strategies to negotiate such situations. The responses were then analysed quantitatively using chi square tests and multinomial logistic regression. Findings indicate that adolescents' interpretation of their social context was a significant factor in their choice of strategy. Those adolescents who invoked normative rules and conventions as the most salient justifications were more likely to recommend bystanding rather than joining in the exclusion. However, adolescents who viewed the protagonist's own choice as an opportunity for making long‐lasting positive changes in the social environment were more likely to recommend helping the victim. Gender and school context also were associated with adolescents' choice of strategy. Implications for research in moral development as well as practical implications for school‐based programming are discussed.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the generous support of funders, the Facing History organization and Erin O'Connor for her statistical consultation. The ‘In Group’ measure and initial coding frameworks for the measure were developed as part of the Facing History and Ourselves ‘Improving Intergroup Relations among Youth' research initiative funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York (1996–1998). The research was further supported by the Spencer Foundation and a Harvard Graduate School of Education Dean's Summer Research Fellowship.

Notes

1. The research initiative was funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and included an outcome study (See Schultz et al., 2001) and a qualitative case study (See Barr, 1998).