Cognitive, Affective, and General Empathy in Individuals Convicted of a Sexual Offense: A Meta-Analysis

Empathy has an important role in promoting proper societal functions. Those who violate societal functions, such as those convicted of having committed a criminal offense, are theorized to possess deficits in their empathic capacity. This assumption has been adopted by many criminological models, including for individuals convicted of a sexual offense (ICSO). However, contradictory research results have resulted in conflicting theories regarding the level of empathy within ICSO. This meta-analysis compiled available data to provide empirical clarity in a divided theoretical field. Results of the meta-analysis indicate that ICSO have lower levels of cognitive (Hedges’s g = −.303, p = .007) and general empathy (Hedges’s g = −.188, p = .020) than those in the general population but do not have significantly lower levels of affective empathy (Hedges’s g = .023, p = .849). Several moderator analyses were conducted, including type of sexual offense, assessment instrument used, and age at conviction.