Effects of armed conflict violence exposure on children and adolescent’s morality: A systematic review

A large body of work demonstrates that a stable environment is essential for childhood development of prosociality. Research on the psychological impact of armed conflicts reveals inconsistencies regarding socio-moral indicators including moral cognition and behavior. This article aims to systematically review the available empirical research on the effects of armed conflict violence exposure during childhood and adolescence on morality. A comprehensive literature search for empirical studies published between 1990 and 2021 was conducted with four academic research databases with twenty-four papers meeting the inclusion criteria. The results and methodological aspects of these studies are discussed. Findings provide tentative support to deleterious effects of armed conflict exposure on children and adolescents' morality. To explain contradicting results, further examination of potential interactions is suggested. All current studies present important methodological limitations. Avenues for future research are discussed.