A sense of justice

A greater ability to assess and analyse information leads many older adolescents to think about morality in society. The young adult often starts to question the society they are living in and its ethics. Developing personal opinions on different issues is very important to the young person.

Older adolescents can still appear as egocentric and idealistic rather than truly understanding the complexities of another’s perspective. They may hold strong opinions, want to be involved in protests or debates about issues they feel passionately about, but as they progress into adulthood they may form more pragmatic views recognising the inherent contradictions within many of their own positions. They are also better able to debate issues outside their sphere of personal experience, such as in politics or ethics.

Kohlberg researched the development of morality in the adolescent and identified that whilst the young person of 16 years old may think about their own code of ethics, such as not committing a crime otherwise you’ll be arrested, the older adolescent will consider the wider implications and principles within which their ethics sit. As the young person emerges into adulthood the ability to make rational decisions increases although Kohlberg suggests that only a few individuals in society have the ability to think abstractly about the rights and wrongs of a situation and that this position is only reached potentially from the early 20’s onwards.