cognitive and affective empathy are reduced in adolescents with high levels of reactive and proactive aggression.
In addition to the previous work on empathy, to demonstrate an association between empathy and violence a study was done by Palmeri Sams, D. & Truscott, S.D. (2004) to investigate the relationships between empathy, the use of violence, and exposure to community violence among urban at-risk adolescent males. Participants completed a battery of self-report measures to assess their levels of empathy, exposure to community violence and use of violent behavior. Literature suggests that a negative relationship exists between empathy and violent behavior. Adolescents who report high levels of exposure to violence will also report low levels of empathy and frequent use of violence. Furthermore, low empathy and high exposure to community violence are believed to predict increased use of violence among participants. Data were examined using a multiple regression analysis; results showed that while low empathy alone does not predict use of violence, low empathy coupled with high levels of exposure to community violence is a significant predictor of use of violence.
A relationship between conduct disorder and empathy has also been demonstrated (Arsenio & Fleiss, 1996; Casey, 1996). Conduct disorder is an externalizing behavior …show more content…
Training in empathy may reduce aggression (Buck & Ginsburg, 1997; Feshbach, 1997). Young children whose mothers showed more affect with them and used affective reasons more often to explain situations involving another child's distress were more likely to make reparations for their transgressions against other children, suggesting that they may be more empathic to those children (Zahn-Waxler, Radke-Yarrow, & King, 1979). These children's increased empathy could have led them to make reparations for their aggressive behavior, which may then serve to inhibit this behavior in the
In addition to the previous work on empathy, to demonstrate an association between empathy and violence a study was done by Palmeri Sams, D. & Truscott, S.D. (2004) to investigate the relationships between empathy, the use of violence, and exposure to community violence among urban at-risk adolescent males. Participants completed a battery of self-report measures to assess their levels of empathy, exposure to community violence and use of violent behavior. Literature suggests that a negative relationship exists between empathy and violent behavior. Adolescents who report high levels of exposure to violence will also report low levels of empathy and frequent use of violence. Furthermore, low empathy and high exposure to community violence are believed to predict increased use of violence among participants. Data were examined using a multiple regression analysis; results showed that while low empathy alone does not predict use of violence, low empathy coupled with high levels of exposure to community violence is a significant predictor of use of violence.
A relationship between conduct disorder and empathy has also been demonstrated (Arsenio & Fleiss, 1996; Casey, 1996). Conduct disorder is an externalizing behavior …show more content…
Training in empathy may reduce aggression (Buck & Ginsburg, 1997; Feshbach, 1997). Young children whose mothers showed more affect with them and used affective reasons more often to explain situations involving another child's distress were more likely to make reparations for their transgressions against other children, suggesting that they may be more empathic to those children (Zahn-Waxler, Radke-Yarrow, & King, 1979). These children's increased empathy could have led them to make reparations for their aggressive behavior, which may then serve to inhibit this behavior in the