Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: A comprehensive literature review and consultations with experts in the field of youth\nsex offending indicated that there is a dearth of knowledge pertaining to victim\nempathy of youth sex offenders, especially within the South African context. The\ngoal of this study was to measure, describe and compare the prevalence of victim\nempathy in youth sex offenders. To achieve the goal of the study, the mixed\nmethods approach was followed. Quantitative data was collected by means of a\nquestionnaire and qualitative data was obtained by means of semi-structured\ninterviews. The questionnaires were completed by 96 sentenced youth sex offenders\nfrom three Youth Correctional Centres (YCCs). Subsequently interviews were\nconducted with each of the research participants.\nThe questionnaire measured the prevalence of empathy for a general sexual abuse\nvictim as well as own victim empathy in youth sex offenders. Comparisons were\nmade between the two types of empathy and in the quantitative section of this study\nit was found that the research participants displayed significantly less empathy for\ntheir own victims when compared to their levels of empathy for a general sexual\nabuse victim.\nDuring the qualitative interviews, in-depth information was obtained regarding the\nyouth sex offenders thoughts prior to, during and after the offence was committed.\nTheir current feelings for the victims were also explored. The divergent responses\nobtained, is an indication of the heterogeneous nature of youth sex offending. Most\nresearch participants indicated that they did not think about the impact of the offence\non the victim prior to, or during the committing of the offence, due to being under the\ninfluence of substances, viewing the victim as a willing participant, being impulsive,\nhaving feelings of self-entitlement or impunity, or due to the influence of peers. Most\nof the research participants acknowledged that directly after the victimisation\noccurred, they were afraid of the consequences of their actions and feared\npunishment, but did not necessarily consider the feelings of the victim. When\nexplaining their current feelings, various research participants indicated that they\nwere remorseful and would like to ask their victims for forgiveness. However, some still failed to accept responsibility and blamed circumstances such as being under\nthe influence of substances or being influenced by peers.\nLastly, the research participants were asked about their attendance of correctional\nprogrammes in the YCCs and whether these programmes contained an empathy\ncomponent. Most of the participants indicated that the Sex Offender Programmes\nwhich they attended did not have an empathy component and did not focus on the\ninfluence that rape had on the victim. Only a small number indicated that the\nprogrammes which they attended focussed on the victim. However, it was clear from\ntheir explanations that the main focus was on general sexual abuse victim empathy\nand not on own victim empathy. Considering the results of this study, as well as\nliterature pertaining to the subject, it is evident that programmes should focus on own\nvictim empathy, as that is where the most prominent deficits are displayed.
Author: Laetitia Coetzee
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2548658932