NCJ Number
202265
Journal
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment Volume: 15 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2003 Pages: 347-364
Date Published
October 2003
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article investigates the reliability and validity of three scales of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) within a clinical sample of sex offenders.
Abstract
There is a lack of empirical research regarding empathic abilities of sex offenders. A lack of empathy may contribute to the ability to abuse others. This study investigated differences in empathy, as measured by the IRI, of male adolescent sex offenders on the basis of their endorsement and use of violence, justifications of offenses, and own history of victimization. The initial scale analyses included 187 males and 94 females that completed the IRI during an assessment in an outpatient, community-based sexual abuse treatment program. This sample included 96 sex offenders aged 12-69; 61 offenders and victims of sexual abuse, aged 12-44; 56 victims of sexual abuse, aged 11-46; and 68 family members of an identified offender or victim of sexual abuse, aged 12-58. The IRI was designed to measure cognitive and affective empathy on four scales, three of which were included in this study. The Empathic Concern (EC) scale assesses the extent to which respondents experience warmth, compassion, and concern for another. The Personal Distress (PD) scale assesses the respondent’s own negative emotions after witnessing another’s unpleasant experience. The Perspective-Taking (PT) scale measures the tendency to consider the viewpoint of another in real-life circumstances. The results indicate that the scales do not accurately measure victim empathy and, although some scales are related to established measures of empathy, each scale achieved only moderate internal consistency. Response to the IRI are related to age and socially desirable responding, and studies using the IRI with clinical samples must compensate for these variables. Results of the study indicate that the degree of sexual violence is related to empathy and that the tendency to blame others and endorse violence is related to personal discomfort in emotional situations. Empathy scores were not related to offenders’ denial or history of victimization. Empathy deficits of adolescent male sex offenders may be specific to their victims or to specific situations. 2 tables, 73 references