NCJ Number
158236
Journal
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment Volume: 7 Issue: 4 Dated: (October 1995) Pages: 259-277
Date Published
1995
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study evaluated two new questionnaires, the Child Empathy Test and the Empathy for Women Test, to assess perspective-taking deficits among sexual offenders.
Abstract
Participants in the study included samples of convicted sexual offenders, community sexual offenders, community nonoffenders, nonsexual criminals, and student nonoffenders. The results indicated that, despite low internal consistency in these measures, they did show a meaningful pattern of relationships with other measures and supported a distinction between types of sexual offenders. Both tests significantly correlated with a test of verbal intelligence. Empathy deficits were most noticeable among sexual offenders who had not used overt force against their victims, and those who were not intoxicated during the time of their offense. The results were equivocal concerning the extent to which sexual offenders have empathy deficits specific to their offense type. 3 tables, 1 appendix, and 37 references