Leaders neutralize wrongdoing by comparing it favorably to others’ worse conduct

Evidence

In the effort at comparative neutralization of clergy sexual abuse, the pope reported that sexual abuse of minors was common among the Protestant and Jewish communities as well. The head of the New York Board of Rabbis cautioned the pope that “comparative tragedy is a dangerous path on which to travel. All of us need to look within our own communities” (Butt & Asthana, 2009). In a further comparative exoneration, the pope added that children are more likely to be sexually abused by family members, babysitters, friends, relatives or neighbors (Butt & Asthana, 2009). — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 535

Categorization

• SEED: Essay angle: ‘competitive victimhood’ in institutional scandal — how the impulse to minimize one’s own wrongdoing by citing worse crimes elsewhere is a recurring rhetorical move across churches, states, and corporations.