The Role of Empathy in Criminal Justice

Empathy as a human characteristic is quite essential, considering that it allows one to understand and respond to other people’s emotions. Naturally, it can be, and most importantly, should be applied in the field of criminal justice. To elaborate, not only does it shape the interactions between the workers of this sphere with the community members, but it can also assist in the decisions of how to disperse justice between those who committed crimes.

Therefore, in criminal justice, it is critical to show empathy to foster fruitful collaborations with victims and even offenders. In this case, it was apparent that the field professionals were cold and passive towards the victim of a crime. Naturally, Victor felt uncomfortable during these interactions as the police officers did not regard his situation as something to be empathic towards. That is why the victim’s vulnerable emotional state was only worsened in this case, probably making him experience even more anxiety. Furthermore, the representatives of the criminal justice system did not recognize this crime as severe, which led to them being dismissive and telling Victor they would contact him if they accidentally found a child, which seemed unlikely by the style of their conversation. In other words, it can be assumed that professionals did not think about the situation as something worth spending time on to find the offender, making them act dismissive and disrespectful.

Thus the police officers’ attitude toward the victim is obviously inappropriate. Not only did it make Victor feel uncomfortable and anxious it was not the way to support him after such a stressful encounter. As a matter of fact, the professionals should’ve acted more professionally, as is implied by the synonym that is often used to refer to their profession (professionals) (Maguire & Giles, 2021). Feeling empathy towards what Victor experienced during that taxi fare should not have been optional but granted. It is only fair to treat a human being with respect and show an understanding of one’s emotions and feelings and respond to them kindly (Trivedi-Bateman & Crook, 2021). In fact, if the police workers had regarded the victim empathetically, it could have helped Victor relax and feel more comfortable about his situation.

It is true, however, that sometimes feeling empathetic to another person is challenging because one can be unfamiliar with their situation. That is why officer Friendly, having a son of the same age, understood the reasons for the offender’s actions better. He recognized the immense influence that teenagers can have on each other, which can often lead to adverse actions, and even crimes being committed. It is likely that because of the officer’s empathy towards the child, the diversion program was opted for.

Overall, similar situations usually become the victims of the media, which is likely to exaggerate or change it thoroughly to make it seem more dramatic than it is. In other words, to make the robberies sound more interesting and gripping to the potential readers, the media opted for changing the facts about the reasons for the offender’s behavior and the way the crime was committed to begin with. Undoubtedly, the press release resulted in unwanted attention towards the victim, making him feel uncomfortable and vulnerable (Kania, 2022). It is also likely that this media outburst might have negatively influenced the mental state of the teenager who committed a crime, who was probably feeling guilty enough before the media posted this piece.

References

Kania, R. (2022). Media’s influence on the perception of criminal justice – Crime & justice research alliance. Web.

Maguire, E. R., & Giles, H. (2021). Public expressions of empathy and sympathy by U.S. criminal justice officials after controversial police killings of African-Americans. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 41(1), 49–75. Web.

Trivedi-Bateman, N., & Crook, E. L. (2021). The optimal application of empathy interventions to reduce antisocial behavior and crime: A review of the literature. Psychology, Crime & Law, 28(8), 796–819. Web.