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Enhancing Victim Empathy for Sex Offenders

NCJ Number
207008
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 12 Issue: 3/4 Dated: 2003 Pages: 255-276
Author(s)
Mark S. Carich; Carole K. Metzger; Mirza S. A. Baig; Joseph J. Harper
Date Published
2003
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This article develops the concept that empathy for other persons can be developed in sex offenders and is a useful and necessary aspect of sex offender treatment.
Abstract
In contemporary sex offender treatment, "victim empathy" is defined as "the offender's understanding of the victim's pain or the impact of his offenses." Victim empathy can be viewed multidimensionally and in levels. This article presents a model of five levels of victim empathy. The highest level consists of the offender's spontaneous, compassionate understanding and emotional expression of that understanding, at both intellectual and emotional levels, of the victim's situation created by the offender. The lowest level of empathy is characterized by a superficial understanding of the impact of the offender's behavior and false remorse. The basic process of developing empathy consists of five steps: offense disclosure and responsibility, the recognition of emotional cues from another, perspective-taking, the ability to experience similar emotions, and expressing and using emotional experiences. A group context is considered by most therapists to be the best treatment modality for enhancing victim empathy. Specific techniques for developing victim empathy are the use of readings and videos, victim-clarification letters (letters written by the offender to the victim), victim letters (letters by the victim to a specific offender or offenders in general), role playing, answering victim questions, basic confrontational techniques, victim impact statements, statements of facts, focusing on when the offender was wronged, personalizing the victim, victim voice technique, victim impact collages, "as if" technique, victim/survivor interactional group, guided imagery apologetic technique, and refocusing on the victim's eyes. 1 table and 47 references