Casey Anthony, Morality, and the Nanny: Where Was Casey Anthony’s Moral Compass?

Do you teach morals differently to boys than girls?
The Casey Anthony trial (and surprising verdict) prompted me to reflect on the way nannies influence the morals of their charges.

It brought up other thoughts too. For example, when I heard that Casey never reported her daughter missing, (but it was her mother who reported her missing after 31-days), I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that nannies are mandated reporters. Nannies must report a missing child, even if the child is the responsibility of someone else. Of course, I know of no nanny that would even hesitate 31-seconds to report a pet was missing, nevertheless a child.

I also will resist the temptation to dwell on the fact that children should not be told about the Casey Anthony trial. It should be obvious to avoid the topic when children are present.

While watching the media coverage about Casey Anthony I was wondering how could Casey Anthony seemingly be raised without a conscience? To wait 31-days to report a child missing, to be out partying while her daughter is missing, to make up lies about an imaginary nanny, has me questioning where was her moral compass?
Is her behavior more shocking because she is a mother, rather than the father or a man?
A common view is that females develop their moral compass via their “heart.” It is often said that the line between right and wrong for a woman is developed by her emotions and her relationships.
Males are thought, by some, to establish their moral viewpoint through the “brain.” Logic and rules are said to be determinants of the male morality.
Whether these concepts are true is open to debate. Not open to debate is the effect that nannies have on the moral upbringing of their charges.

Do you teach morals to boys and girls differently, or are you simply a good role model to your charges?


  1. Of course she's guilty! I don't teach boys and girls different morals but it seems parents allow boys to get away with less manners like burping and farting.

  2. She is 100% guilty. She lied about everything while her daughter was gone for over a month before police were notified (by the grandmother, who did not know her granddaughter was missing until Casey finally had to fess up that her daughter was not around). Even when calling police, Casey refused to talk to them. Before her daughter was killed, Casey did a number of searches on the internet on how to make chloroform, among a number of other incriminating searches. This shows she planned out how she was going to kill her daughter. There is a diary entry in which Casey hopes that "the end will justify the means, and everything will work out."Then, she partied and acted like noting happened. Then the defense made untrue claims they couldn't prove.Clearly, Casey wanted her daughter dead so that she could enjoy life and so her daughter wouldn't expose her lies. She deserves to be put on death row.I think she will be murdered or commit suicide. Do you know anyone that doesn't think she's guilty?

  3. We have no choice but to respect the jury decision. It would be far worse to imprison someone who isn't guilty. Her judgement will be at the pearly gates. Like OJ she'll end up in jail again.

  4. Why are teenage boys expected to have sex while girls are whores if they do? Casey Anthony is guilty of neglect at the very best for not telling police the truth and waiting to report her kids missing.

  5. I believe she is guilty!! First of all, to be partying and having a good time knowing that your child is dead. That raised a red flag right there. She is a selfish, lying woman. The clues were there and it wasn't enough? Give me a break.

  6. Guilty guilty guilty. I don't think it's her parents fault she did it either! We can raise kids the same way and they can turn out wrong. I don't teach morals differently to boys and girls but there is a double standard re: sex and manners like mentioned above.

  7. Only she knows what really happened and should be held responsible. Since she didn't call police when the child went missing, proves she is guilty or at least criminally responsible. If nanny zanny had the child she let her have her and that was horrible too because than nanny zanny killled her daughter. Disgrace she's going to be set free. She should commit suicide or be murdered really.

  8. She appears to be a clear sociopath. Because of that yes unfortunately it is a matter of time before she commits some other crime.I always tried to be PC and equal opportunity morals teacher for my charges for both boys and girls. Of course it doesn't help when they are supposed "role model" celebritities all over the media, of both gender who are a challenge to this.Regarding nannies being mandatory reporters, in a heart beat would I report, and not stop reporting until that child was located. This is where I think the family and friends were negligent too.

  9. To not be a mandated reporter and help a child is punishable by law!!! So she's guilty of not reporting her child missing and then child is dead so she is guilty of that horrific crime of not reporting her missing at the very least!

  10. She's guilty as sin! I have read articles and books about raising girls and boys differently. Girls need to talk to connect and bond. Boys connect and bond to you via doing an activity. So if you need to bond to them take a boy fishing or build a lego building with him and sit down and talk AND LISTEN with a girls.

  11. She's guilty no doubt. I don't want to waste anymore energy on her but if I ever saw her I'd spit in her face. I think I expect the same morals and values of all the children I help raise, boys and girls.

  12. Gender has a powerful impact on the self-conception of young people, and is an organizing principle of society! The fact is, boys and girls struggle with distinct social and emotional issues, and these issues impact their experiences in school. Our boys (esp. boys of color) learn early on that they must harden up in order to become men; our girls learn that their appearance is their most valuable quality. Educational spaces that engage with the unique challenges facing girls and boys are able to impact student motivation and engagement in a powerful way.As someone who runs gender-specific after-school tutoring and mentoring programs, I see first hand that gendered classrooms have a different kind of impact on young people. Our boys so desperately crave a space where they can interact with positive young men, and need education about how to experience and express their feelings before they act on impulse. Our girls struggle so much with academic self-confidence and voice, and blossom in a space where they feel safer asking questions. Gender is still a way that we all make sense of the world–it is powerful to acknowledge this reality.

  13. It makes me sick to my stomach. I feel like throwing up. She's going to screw up again don't worry, she'll be back in jail again. Go ahead and spit in her face Michelle while I stone the jury!

  14. She's guilty. When we raise kids we have to raise them to follow their parents way. You need to respect the parents moral beliefs. Boys are treated differently than girls. We shouldn't shame girls and we should try to make boys more sympathetic to others.

  15. Dear Casey: May Santa bring your x-mas presents–2 wks early wrapped in duct-tape every year until you die! May you find yourself as, friendless, alone, and defenseless as your own child as her life expired, and feel desperately terrified every time you must look at your own reflection. May you get a conscience and suffer and weap for your child.To the defense and jurors: I hope Casey is the babysitter to your kids and grandkids.

  16. She is guilty and has no moral compass. We teach it each day with every decision we make. Not often do I need to think about it, I just do it.

  17. To all murderers and psychopaths, if your going to commit murder just tell a bunch of lies to everybody so they can't convict you.

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