The Protective Role of Empathy and Emotional Self-efficacy in Predicting Moral Disengagement in Adolescents Separated from Illegal Armed Groups

Abstract

The multiple scenarios of violence in Colombia expose minors to acts of abuse, violation of their fundamental rights, and forced recruitment by illegal armed groups. This article presents the results of a research regarding 35 teenagers who had been released from illegal armed groups in Colombia and are currently in process of social reintegration. The objective was to analyze the role of empathy and emotional self-efficacy in predicting moral disengagement in this population. The instruments used were the Moral Disengagement Mechanisms Questionnaire (MMDS), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and the Regulatory Emotional Self-efficacy Questionnaire (RESE). The empathic perspective and self-efficacy in the management of negative emotions were found to be protective factors of moral disengagement in the studied population. These potential factors become a central element for the psychosocial accompaniment of these adolescents.