A group of researchers at Cardiff University’s School of Psychology wondered if they could help teenagers in prison—who committed offenses multiple times—by setting them out on a more positive path in life. They believed that some of these youth may have difficulties perceiving emotions as a result of antisocial behavior, and wanted to see if a course could help the offenders feel more empathy as a way to reduce aggression. They did a study and came up with surprising results: they found just two hours of an emotional awareness course might help reduce the seriousness of future crimes. Six months following the completion of the program, researchers noted a 44 percent drop in the seriousness of offenses.
Emotional awareness training for teens in prison helps reduce future crimes
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