Victim empathy advancement of youth sex offenders in youth correctional centres
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Date
Authors
Coetzee, Laetitia
Bezuidenhout, Christiaan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
CRIMSA
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to focus on victim empathy advancement components in
correctional programmes offered in Youth Correctional Centres. It is postulated that youth sex
offenders display empathy deficits, but only a limited number of international studies have
investigated these deficits. This is problematic, as intervention programmes frequently include
victim empathy advancement components without sufficient empirical support to necessitate
such inclusion. In a recent study conducted by Coetzee (2015), an existing measuring
instrument, namely Beckett and Fisher’s Victim Empathy Distortion Scale was used to measure
and compare 96 youth sex offenders’ empathy levels for sexual abuse victims in general as
portrayed in a case study, as well as empathy for the offenders’ own specific victims (thus
measuring the difference in each offender’s empathy levels for sexual abuse victims in general,
and for their own victim). The quantitative research results indicate that the most prominent
empathy deficits are displayed towards the youth sex offenders’ own victims. This finding was
supported by the responses gained from the interviews with participants during the qualitative
phase of the study. The findings in the quantitative and qualitative section of the research
elucidates the importance of focussing on own victim empathy in correctional programmes
offered to these youths in order to assist them to understand the impact of their offending
behaviour, to take responsibility for their offending behaviour, and to reduce the possibility
that they will recidivate.
Description
Keywords
Victim, Victim empathy, Youth sex offender, Youth sex offending, Youth Correctional Centres, Empathy deficits, Correctional programmes, Intervention programmes, Recidivism, Rehabilitation
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Coetzee, L. & Bezuidenhout, C. 2017, 'Victim empathy advancement of youth sex offenders in youth correctional centres', Acta Criminologica, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 92-108.