ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the empirical work that indicates that unusually high levels of empathy are related to increased risk of victimization. It also discusses the empathy is an essential component of each of the areas, demonstrating how it contributes to a holistic understanding of key concepts in the field of criminology. Justice is the cornerstone of any fair and democratic society. It should therefore come as little surprise that issues concerning the fairness of punishment, mechanisms of social control, and treatment of those who break societal rules are so important to people in society. While evolutionary psychology and related fields have enabled a sound understanding of the origins of empathy, genetics and biological sciences are also increasingly adding to our understanding of the heredity and development of empathy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most successful and most cited “best practices” in offender rehabilitation.
