A new study is showing that teaching empathy in schools can help lower the crime rate in young adults. Empathy has always been one of those skills that are essential for human well-being and health, and just like with most skills, it needs to be taught. Empathy does occur naturally in people, but some require a little bit of help blossoming it and applying it to their everyday lives. When we think of school, we think of English, history, and math, but school is also a place where children learn important social skills, and empathy is an important one.

According to Study Finds, a new study has shown that teaching empathy in school could mean a lower crime rate among teenagers. Teenagers are in a tough part of their lives, and they are trying to find themselves, and sometimes this involves making decisions that are not healthy or right.

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This study was published in the journal Psychology, Crime and Law and can be read in full here. Researchers found that if children were given actual courses on empathy and how to show it, the crime rates in youth could decrease.

This was because previous studies have shown that higher states of empathy are directly linked to lower levels of aggression and gang-related activity. When they also looked at the general personality of criminals and prisoners, they show a great lack of concern for others. There were a couple of European programs that aimed to teach empathy in Germany and Turkey, and they both saw an increased reduction in bullying after children had completed the program. Researchers stated that empathy that does not evolve is a risk to the whole community and this could be a way to help the youth develop a well-rounded sense of empathy.

The studies and the programs have been found to be beneficial, and researchers are saying that more may need to be done. Looking at repetition is important, and that empathy is an important skill for youth that they may need to repeat over time. An example of a successful empathy training program was done by using virtual reality and placing children in a situation where there was a ‘victim’ and an ‘offender’ and these situations have been shown to be beneficial when trying to stop bullying or other scenarios. While we are all trying our best to raise children who have empathy and kindness towards others, we could all use more resources to help.

Sources: Study Finds, T And F Online