Cognitive and Emotional Components of Generalized Empathy Deficits in Child Molesters

This report describes our second evaluation of the possible generalized empathy deficits in child molesters. In our earlier study (Marshall et al., 1993), we found such deficits in community-based child molesters but not in incarcerated child molesters. In the present study, we used two scales that are said to measure, more precisely than our earlier measure, the cognitive (Hogan's Empathy Scale) and emotional (the Questionnaire Measure of Emotional Empathy) components of empathy. On these two measures we found that incarcerated child molesters were, relative to nonoffenders, deficient in generalized empathy. The results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and treatment implications.