Empathy in child molesters: a comparative view

Abstract

In recent years there has been a large amount of research into the causes and treatment of child molestation. One focus of this research was concerned with the role of empathy deficits in child molesters. This thesis discusses the research to date in this area, with particular reference to the definition and nature of empathy, and the question of whether deficits in child molesters might be victim specific rather than general. It then investigates the nature of empathy deficits in child molesters, and compares them with empathy deficits in other offenders.

Thirty incarcerated child molesters, twenty incarcerated violent offenders, and twenty incarcerated nonsexual/nonviolent offenders completed four questionnaires, including the Emotional Apperception Test. While there were no significant differences between groups, the EAT revealed that child molesters and violent offenders have deficits in their ability to emotionally replicate the states of their victims. These and other findings are discussed in relation to previous and future research, and an amended version of the EAT is recommended.