van der Helm G H P, Stams G J J M, van der Stel J C, van Langen M A M, van der Laan P H
Leiden University of Applied Sciences, Leiden, Netherlands.
Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2012 Dec;56(8):1149-60. doi: 10.1177/0306624X11421649. Epub 2011 Sep 9.
This study examined the influence of group climate on empathy in a Dutch youth correctional facility in a sample of 59 incarcerated delinquent boys. Higher levels of empathy have been shown to be associated with less delinquent and more prosocial behaviour and may therefore be vital for successful rehabilitation and recidivism reduction. Although empathy was originally considered to be a trait, recent neurobiological research has shown that empathy has state-like properties in that levels of empathy change in response to the social environment. This study showed that differences in group climate were associated with cognitive empathy in juvenile delinquents but not with affective empathy. It is speculated that inmates' state-depressive feelings and anxiety could diminish the effects of prison group climate on affective empathy. The discussion focuses on group dynamics in youth correctional facilities. A positive prison group climate in a youth correctional facility could turn out to be a major factor contributing to effectiveness of secure institutional treatment.
本研究在一所荷兰青少年教养机构中，以59名被监禁的违法男孩为样本，考察了群体氛围对同理心的影响。研究表明，较高水平的同理心与较少的违法及较多的亲社会行为相关，因此对于成功改造和减少累犯可能至关重要。尽管同理心最初被认为是一种特质，但最近的神经生物学研究表明，同理心具有类似状态的特性，即同理心水平会根据社会环境而变化。本研究表明，群体氛围的差异与青少年罪犯的认知同理心相关，但与情感同理心无关。据推测，囚犯的状态性抑郁情绪和焦虑可能会削弱监狱群体氛围对情感同理心的影响。讨论集中在青少年教养机构中的群体动态。青少年教养机构中积极的监狱群体氛围可能会成为促进安全机构治疗有效性的一个主要因素。
