Moral guidance as a network practice: parents, peers, and self‑reliance over teachers in adolescents’ decisions

Abstract

Adolescents face moral uncertainty across overlapping normative settings—family, school, peer groups, and online spaces. While schools are commonly tasked with moral and civic education, it is an empirical question whether teachers function as adolescents’ first-choice reference in moments of doubt. This research note draws on a cross-sectional survey of 80 adolescents and examines (a) clarity of goals and personal values, (b) perceived moral certainty and competing rules, and (c) experiences of contradictory advice. Respondents most often located guidance in close ties—parents and peers—or in self-reliance; online sources were rarely prioritized. Notably, teachers were not selected as a primary reference. High ambivalence on items about adult–peer differences and contradictory advice suggests context-dependent moral navigation, with implications for school-based preventive programs.