References
Teaching empathy can have a positive impact on behaviour and tolerance
Abstract
A new report has found that teaching empathy can help improve emotional awareness, tolerance and behaviour in children and young people, as Dorothy Lepkowska explains
Teaching children empathy can have a positive impact on their behaviour, emotional awareness, and tolerance and understanding of other cultures, a study has found (Webb et al, 2024).
The research, involving 900 students in six countries, found that a short programme of empathy lessons led to measurable and positive changes in how children related to others, improved their conduct, and increased their emotional literacy within a 10-week period.
The findings come from an evaluation of the ‘Empathy Programme’: a term-long course developed by the UK-based company, Empathy Studios, which was conducted in conjunction with support from academics at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Education.
The evaluation of the programme is timely and comes as recent Department for Education (2024) figures show that 11 619 children were suspended for racist behaviour during the 2022-2023 school year – up from 9 452 the year before.
Campaigners have blamed the normalisation of the language of racism and bigotry in the UK, with children hearing it in the home and in their communities.
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