Empathy, mentalization and externalized behaviors in school-aged children in youth centers: An exploratory study
Sexual or physical abuse, neglect and psychological abuse within the parent-child relationship may hinder the development of child’s empathy and capacity to mentalize, abilities that contribute to inhibit externalized behaviors. This exploratory study aims to document the level of empathy and mentalizing capacity (MC) of 16 children aged between 7 and 11 years-old living in foster care in different residential services (residential unit or external group home), as well as the links between these abilities and externalized behaviors. Questionnaires assessing empathy, metalizing bias and externalized behaviors of these children were administered to their main child workers (n = 13) and the children (n = 16), who also participated in an interview to qualify their MC. All the children exhibit externalized behaviors, little mentalizing bias, refuse to mentalize or have no ability to do so, as well as a relatively low capacity for empathy. Significant links between empathy, MC and mentalizing bias were found. However, no link between these variables and externalized behaviors has been demonstrated. Girls have higher scores than boys on MC and empathy. No difference was observed between the children from the different residential services (residential unit or external group home). The results allow to describe the empathy and mentalizing abilities of children living in youth centers. They support the importance of considering interventions based on these faculties when working with these children.