GETTING CAUGHT IN MISCONDUCT - CONCEPTIONS OF ADOLESCENTS WITH AND WITHOUT LEARNING-DISABILITIES

This study examined adolescents' conceptions about how to respond afte r being caught in misconduct, in order to determine whether students w ith learning disabilities differ from nondisabled students in their be liefs regarding apprehension. A total of 88 students with learning dis abilities (62 male, 26 female) and 84 nondisabled students (45 male, 3 9 female) were interviewed about 10 scenarios in which a teenager was caught by authorities after participating in misconduct, either alone or with a peer. The mean age of the students was 16 years (SD = 1.4). The results indicated that the students with learning disabilities wer e significantly more likely than other students to suggest escaping an d less likely to suggest accepting the consequences, although the diff erences were not great. The implications of these findings are discuss ed.