Tag: empathyinworkplace

Empathy Helps Explain How Parental Support Can Prevent Teen Delinquency

A new study of nearly 4,000 school children has found that youngsters who feel they have empathic support from their parents and caregivers are verging away from a wide range of delinquent behavior, such as committing crimes.

Published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Moral Education, the research, which drew on data surveying children over a four year period from when they were aged 12 to 17, also shows that those who received empathy were less likely to execute acts of serious delinquent behavior, compared to those who simply felt they had supportive parents.

In addition, the new findings — out today — demonstrate that parents/caregivers who display greater empathy enhance their teenagers’ own development of empathy, or the ability to acknowledge and understand the feelings of others.

The results follow an investigation of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children data source, which features a series of interviews with 3,865 boys and girls across Australia over the period when delinquent behavior first tends to appear.

Author of the paper, Professor Glenn Walters from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, USA, states his findings demonstrate that parental support, as perceived by the child, plays a “small but significant role” in the development of empathy in early adolescent youth.

The Associate Professor of Criminal Justice adds: “Empathy in youth also appears to have the power to mediate the negative association between perceived parental support and future juvenile delinquency.”

The study was launched to expand on results of several previous articles which investigated the relationship between parental support and delinquent behavior in teenagers. The proposition is that strong parental support reduces the propensity for such behavior. However, the results have been mixed.

Forensic psychologist Professor Walters wanted further clarification. Could parental support and delinquent behavior include an indirect relationship, rather than direct, and be mediated by another factor: high levels of empathy?

To find out, he first scrutinized two interview sessions where the children were asked about their level of parental support as they perceived it, and their development of empathy. To determine parental support, they were asked to rate statements such as “I trust my parents” and “I talk to my parents.” To assess empathy, they were asked to rate statements such as “I try to empathize with friends,” and “I try to make others feel better.”

In the final session, when they were 16 or 17, they were asked how often they had engaged in 17 delinquent acts in the past year. These acts varied in their seriousness, from drawing graffiti in a public place to purposely damaging or destroying property to using force or the threat of force to get money or things from someone.

Using a variety of statistical techniques, Professor Walters found that empathy did indeed appear to mediate the relationship between parental support and delinquent behavior. Children who reported more parental support tended to have higher levels of empathy, and these children were less likely to engage in delinquent behavior.

“What the current study adds to the literature on the parental support-delinquency relationship is a mechanism capable of further clarifying this relationship,” Walters says. “The mechanism, according to the results of the present study, is empathy.”

He does concede, however, that other factors such as social interest and self-esteem may also play a role in mediating the relationship between parental support and teenage delinquency, and says these factors should be explored in future research.

Walters also suggests, in future research, empathy should be measured from a younger age and that new criminalities such as cybercrime — not included in this data set — should be assessed.

By Taylor & Francis Group

Source: Empathy helps explain how parental support can prevent teen delinquency: Study on 4,000 children monitored over four years, finds children who felt their parents were empathic were less likely to commit serious crime — ScienceDaily

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Journal Reference:

  1. Glenn D. Walters. In search of a mechanism: mediating the perceived parental support–delinquency relationship with child empathy. Journal of Moral Education, 2021; 1 DOI: 10.1080/03057240.2021.1872511
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Why Social Awareness And Empathy Take Constant Work

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Empathy is a lifelong process.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m an outspoken feminist. But once upon a time, I scratched my head and questioned why we needed feminism. “Shouldn’t we just advocate egalitarianism—equality for everyone?” I asked. I wasn’t fully aware of the multitude of issues specific to women, both overt and internalized, facing me and all women in society (and how feminism benefits men, too).

In another instance, back in high school, I remember using the phrase, “That’s gay,” as a way to say “That’s not cool,” at the dismay and horror of my gay friend. It was a phrase I heard a lot and repeated. At the time, I didn’t think about how it could be hurtful and problematic. My friend calling me out really made me rethink how I chose my words.

Developing social awareness and empathy takes time, effort, intention, and choice. No one is born with the ability to be perfectly informed and sensitive when it comes to the many complex social issues in our world. Being empathetic isn’t always intuitive, as we are so often caught up in our own problems and it can be human nature to be selfish.

It takes energy to extend ourselves to others, to see things from their perspective, and to provide support and solidarity. But once you start to educate yourself and learn about the various issues facing marginalized communities, you start to grow as a human who can positively interact with others—especially those different from yourself.

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Empathy is the ability to understand what another person is going through. It’s the ability to really put yourself in someone else’s shoes, and to feel what they are feeling. It’s about being respectful and standing in solidarity with marginalized groups, including non-white, non-men, and LGBTQIA communities. You hear them, validate them, and help fight for them. You’re an ally.

As a cisgender straight woman, I’ve never had to deal with discrimination when it comes to my gender identity or choosing who I love. While I’ve never personally dealt with the struggles that face the LGBTQIA community, I can understand the pain and frustration of someone who has been judged by society, their loved ones, and their peers for simply being who they are. I can empathize.

On the other hand, as a woman of color, I’ve experienced discrimination for my identity in other ways. I have been teased, tokenized, and fetishized. I’ve had strangers, especially back in my Midwestern hometown, make assumptions about who I am. A shop owner once told me he was surprised I speak fluent English. I’ve had people ask me where I’m from (expecting me to name some exotic Asian country rather than Ohio). I’ve had dates fetishize me for my race and appearance.

The hardships I’ve dealt with—while certainly traumatic at times—helped shape who I am. They’ve made me a stronger, more outspoken, and more informed person. While I’ve learned to forgive others, especially those who don’t necessarily have bad intentions, I always speak up. If someone makes a problematic comment, I will calmly explain to them why they are wrong or how their words can be offensive. I challenge them to be more open-minded and to reflect on their behaviors and comments.

As I mentioned earlier, we all have to start somewhere when it comes to social awareness and building empathy. I don’t let people off the hook, but I also try to educate rather than shame. Being socially conscious is not about purity, and it shouldn’t be driven by a fear of saying the wrong thing. People mess up. Allies should be allowed to ask questions and openly communicate. On the same token, they should be willing to take constructive criticism and constantly better themselves.

My identity as an Asian-American woman is the fabric of who I am. I appreciate when others are empathetic to my struggles but also validate me as a whole, complex person. In a world that perpetuates stereotypes, it’s imperative that we see people for who they really are, beyond identity and appearance. This takes research, self-educating, reading the works of diverse authors, taking classes, and incorporating the works of marginalized people into your everyday life. It’s a constant work in progress, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

By:

Source: https://gc4women.org

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