Abstract

This study examined mothers’ constructions of meaning about transgressions, and whether the way mothers make sense of their own moral transgressions is related to how they make sense of those of their children. The sample consisted of 89 mothers of adolescent children (children’s age range = 12-15 years; 43 boys, 46 girls). Each mother was asked to choose a moral value that was most important to them and to write about past experiences wherein they and their child acted out of alignment with this value. Written narratives were coded reliably for references to growth, choice, remorse, negative evaluation, and negative characterological attribution. Mothers also answered a series of related closed-ended follow-up questions on Likert scales. The first research aim was to examine how different aspects of meaning-making were interrelated within the mothers’ written narrative accounts. Results indicated that, in narratives of their own transgressions, mothers’ negative evaluations were positively related to their negative characterological attributions and remorse. Regarding their narratives of their child’s transgressions, negative characterological attributions were positively linked to negative evaluations and growth. The second aim was to examine similarities and differences between mothers’ accounts of their own and their children’s transgressions. Contrary to expectations, results showed that mothers discussed growth and remorse more for themselves, and choice and negative characterological attribution more for their children. The third aim was to examine associations between the types of meanings mothers made regarding their own transgressions and those of their children. Results revealed negative correlations between mother’s choice and child’s growth and mother’s negative evaluation and child’s choice. Negative evaluations of the mother and child were positively correlated. Findings based on the follow-up Likert scales did not consistently reflect the patterns revealed in the narratives. From a scholarly perspective, this study provides new information about the processes involved in moral socialization, and how parents come to conclusions about their children’s wrongdoings. Implications for parenting are discussed.