Bioethics and the Youth

An analysis of the correlation between certain socio–demographic characteristics of students and their attitudes towards abortion and capital punishment

Abstract

The text, in terms of content, can be divided into two parts — theoretical and empirical. The former, theoretical part of the text based on present understanding deals with the issues of abortion and capital punishment. The basic features of contemporary dilemmas and debates about these issues are presented, which then serves as the basis for research problems. The latter, empirical part of the paper, states that the empirical study was carried out among the students of Zagreb’s faculties (N=311), and the results show that students are much more open to the idea of abortion than of capital punishment. Various socio–demographic characteristics are in different ways connected with the attitudes towards these issues, and conclusively the need to encourage their own intellectual involvement is emphasised, along with their critical revision of various information and “solutions” currently presented to them. The need for quality education and schooling is also emphasised so that the “moral underdevelopment” described by literature may be avoided to the greatest possible extent.