Moral Disengagement and Aggressive Behaviour among Young Adults

Abstract

Moral disengagement refers to the cognitive mechanisms including moral justification, euphemistic labelling, diffusion of responsibility, and dehumanization that allow individuals to commit harmful acts without self-censure. Grounded in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, this study examined the relationship between moral disengagement and aggressive behaviour among young adults. A quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational design was employed with a convenience sample of 144 Indian young adults (aged 18–30 years). Participants completed the Moral Disengagement Scale (MDS; Bandura et al., 1996) and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ; Buss & Perry, 1992). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and simple linear regression (IBM SPSS). Moral disengagement was significantly and positively correlated with aggressive behaviour, and significantly predicted aggressive behaviour, accounting for 15.8% of the variance. Findings indicate that young adults who more frequently employ cognitive mechanisms of moral disengagement are more likely to exhibit aggressive tendencies. The results extend Social Cognitive Theory to a non-Western, Indian young adult population and underscore the need for interventions that strengthen moral self-regulation and empathy in academic and community settings.