What do children feel guilty about? Developmental and gender differences.

Abstract

Content analyses of 240 (123 male, 117 female) 5th, 8th, and 11th graders' descriptions of guilt-producing events indicate that the situations, individuals, and specific incidents evoking guilt vary across grade and gender. The percentage of students mentioning guilt over inaction, neglect of responsibilities, and failure to attain ideals increases with grade level as the prevalence of guilt over situations that are not the students' fault declines. With development, guilt evoked by extended family members and siblings is less prevalent, mentions of boy- or girlfriends are more prevalent, and parents remain the individuals who most frequently engender guilt. At higher grade levels, the percentage of subjects reporting guilt from agressive, externalizing incidents declines, whereas those mentioning guilt over internal thoughts and inconsiderateness increases. Guilt over flouting rules (e.g., truancy) peaks at the 8th grade. More male compared with female students reports guilt over externalizing behaviors, whereas more female students reports guilt violating norms of compassion and trust

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