Study: Teaching Empathy Could Keep Kids Out of the System
Although a recent study has found that young violent offenders have empathy levels 15 percent lower than less severe offenders and normal kids, researchers suggest that if children were provided courses on cultivating empathy in school, crime rates among youth could decrease.
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Although a recent study has found that young violent offenders have empathy levels 15 percent lower than less severe offenders and normal kids, researchers suggest that if children were provided courses on cultivating empathy in school, crime rates among youth could decrease, reports Study Finds. Other research has also shown higher empathy is linked to lower levels of aggression in under 18-year-olds, as well as reduced rates of weapon carrying and gang crime. In a Turkish study, a bullying-focused school training found a 40 percent reduction in bullying behavior among pupils who took part, with the control group showing no change in their behavior.
“Empathy is crucial for supporting law-abiding behaviors and decisions, and traditional sources of empathy development, such as parents and teachers, are vital for the development of lawful behavior in children,” says co-author Dr. Trivedi-Bateman, a senior lecturer in criminology at Anglia Ruskin University, in a statement. “Deficient empathy is a risk to all members of the community and occurs when children have inadequate or absent role models. If deficient empathy can be identified and addressed from infancy, we strongly believe that fewer incidents of harm and wrongdoing will occur in society.”
