EMPATHY IN SEX OFFENDERS

Sex offenders are thought to suffer from deficits in their capacity to experience empathy, and this is considered to be important in the dev elopment, and particularly the maintenance, of their deviant behaviour The concept of empathy, however is confused. A multicomponent staged model of empathy is outlined, and it is suggested that empathy deficit s may be more person-specific than has previously been thought. The ev idence concerning empathy deficits in sex offenders is considered, and it is concluded that our multicomponent model offers a better way to understand and treat the empathy deficits in these men.