Moral Socialization:The Role of Parents

Parental socialization is one of the remarkable ways in which children begin to learn about right and wrong. Drawing on the relevant theoretical and empirical literature we look at the ways in which parent inculcate moral values in children. In particular, the study explores the parental practices and the characteristics of the parent-child relationship that shapes the moral affect, behaviour and cognition in children. The article reviews some key investigations in the area of moral socialization and highlights some important yet overlooked or understudied aspects of parental moral socialization that requires scholarly attention.