Journal article
General and Victim-Specific Empathy: Associations With Actuarial Risk, Treatment Outcome, and Sexual Recidivism
Sexual abuse : a journal of research and treatment, Vol.24(5), pp.411-430
2012
Abstract
An empathy-related component has been included in most sex offender treatment programs since the 1980s; however, research linking empathy to sexual offending and/or to treatment outcome has produced mixed findings. This study examined the relationship between victim specific empathy, general empathy, and overall treatment change (determined by responses on a battery of psychometric tests) with static risk (Risk Matrix 2000 [RM 2000]) and sexual offense reconviction data in a sample of 105 offenders who completed treatment while in prison or in the community in England and Wales and followed up for an average period of more than 10 years. Victim-specific empathy improved from pretreatment to posttreatment and related to overall treatment change. A small group of offenders, whose victim empathy scores deteriorated from pretreatment to posttreatment, had higher rates of sexual recidivism compared with the rest of the sample. In contrast, neither were any reliable pretreatment to posttreatment changes noted on general empathy scores, except for an indication on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index Personal Distress Scale, nor was any relationship found to sexual recidivism. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to treatment goals and sexual recidivism.
Details
- Title
- General and Victim-Specific Empathy: Associations With Actuarial Risk, Treatment Outcome, and Sexual Recidivism
- Authors
- Sarah J Brown (Author) - Coventry University, United KingdomLeigh Harkins (Author) - Birmingham University, United KingdomAnthony R Beech (Author) - Birmingham University, United Kingdom
- Publication details
- Sexual abuse : a journal of research and treatment, Vol.24(5), pp.411-430
- Publisher
- Sage Publications Inc.
- DOI
- 10.1177/1079063211423944
- ISSN
- 1079-0632
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Criminology - Legacy; Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450947902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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21 Record Views
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Criminology & Penology
- Psychology, Clinical
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