Becoming an Ethical Professional

Why do some people lie and others tell the truth in similar situations? Why do some people take advantage of others, while others never would? How does one develop from an amoral infant to a virtuous adult? These are fascinating questions, and we can only skim the surface of the vast amount of literature that exists on the subject, briefly discussing research that helps us understand moral development and ethical decision making.
Ethical decision making is influenced by individual factors. There is mixed research as to whether individuals’ beliefs and values predict their behavior. Research has found that people may believe the right thing to do is one thing and act in a different way entirely. Part of the reason for this may lie in external influences.
Social and moral maturity as constantly changing and reacting to outside influences, including family, peers, and social institutions. These external influences affect our ethical decision making even into adulthood.
When top leaders take responsibility for their subordinates’ behavior, they will lead and administer with greater awareness, interaction, and responsibility. External influences are both objective (e.g., laws and regulations that constrain the organization) and normative (public belief systems).
In each subsystem of the criminal justice system (police, courts, and corrections), individual, organizational, and systemic (cultural or societal) influence responses to unethical behavior.