Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Apr;46(2):217-27.
doi: 10.1007/s10578-014-0467-1.

Children's proneness to shame and guilt predict risky and illegal behaviors in young adulthood

Jeffrey Stuewig  1 , June P Tangney, Stephanie Kendall, Johanna B Folk, Candace Reinsmith Meyer, Ronda L Dearing
Affiliations

Children's proneness to shame and guilt predict risky and illegal behaviors in young adulthood

Jeffrey Stuewig et al. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Do shame and guilt help people avoid doing wrong? Although some research suggests that guilt-proneness is a protective factor while shame-proneness puts individuals at risk, most research is either cross-sectional or short-term. In this longitudinal study, 380 5th graders (ages 10-12) completed measures of proneness to shame and guilt. We re-interviewed 68 % of participants after they turned 18 years old (range 18-21). Guilt-proneness assessed in childhood predicted fewer sexual partners, less use of illegal drugs and alcohol, and less involvement with the criminal justice system. Shame-proneness, in contrast, was a risk factor for later deviant behavior. Shame-prone children were more likely to have unprotected sex and use illegal drugs in young adulthood. These results held when controlling for childhood SES and teachers' ratings of aggression. Children's moral emotional styles appear to be well established by at least middle childhood, with distinct downstream implications for risky behavior in early adulthood.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Stuewig J, Tangney JP. Shame and guilt in antisocial and risky behaviors. In: Tracy JL, Robins RW, Tangney JP, editors. The Self-Conscious Emotions: Theory and Research. New York: Guilford Press; 2007. pp. 371–388.
    1. Abramson PR, Mosher DL, Abramson LM, Woychowski B. Personality correlates of the Mosher Guilt Scales. J Pers Assess. 1977;41:373–382. - PubMed
    1. Hoffman ML. Development of prosocial motivation: Empathy and guilt. In: Eisenberg-Berg N, editor. Development of prosocial behavior. New York: Academic Press; 1982. pp. 281–313.
    1. De Hooge IE, Zeelenberg M, Breugelmans SM. Moral sentiments and cooperation: Differential influences of shame and guilt. Cognition and Emotion. 2007;21:1025–1042.
    1. Ferguson TJ, Stegge H, Damhuis I. Children's understanding of guilt and shame. Child Dev. 1991;62:827–839.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources