Observed and parent‐reported conscience in childhood: Relations with bullying involvement in early primary school |
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| Authors: | Pauline W. Jansen Barbara Zwirs Marina Verlinden Cathelijne L. Mieloo Vincent W. V. Jaddoe Albert Hofman Frank C. Verhulst Wilma Jansen Marinus H. van Ijzendoorn Henning Tiemeier |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/PsychologyErasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands;2. Institute of PsychologyErasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands;3. Department of CriminologyLeiden University, Leiden, Netherlands;4. The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands;5. Department of Public HealthErasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands;6. Department of Research and Business IntelligenceCity of Rotterdam, RSO, Rotterdam, Netherlands;7. Department of EpidemiologyErasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands;8. Department of PediatricsErasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands;9. Department of Social DevelopmentCity of Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands;10. Centre for Child and Family StudiesLeiden University, Leiden, Netherlands;11. School for Pedagogical and Educational SciencesErasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands;12. Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands |
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| Abstract: | This exploratory study aimed to examine which components of early childhood conscience predicted bullying involvement around school entry. In the population‐based Generation R Study, teacher reports of bullying involvement and parent reports of conscience were available for 3,244 children (M age = 6.7 years). Higher levels of overall conscience predicted lower bullying perpetration scores, independently of intelligence quotient, temperamental traits and sociodemographic characteristics. Particularly, the subscales guilt, confession, and internalized conduct, and to a lesser extent empathy, predicted bullying perpetration. Conscience was not related to victimization. Similar results were found using observations during so‐called ‘cheating games’ (subsample N = 450 children). Findings suggest that improving children's understanding of moral standards and norms may be a potential target for bullying intervention programs in early primary school. |
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| Keywords: | bullying childhood conscience moral development victimization |
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