Training boys to recognise another's fear reduces violent crime

Wide eyes and mouth agape – you might think a fearful face is easy to recognise. That doesn't seem to be the case for people who repeatedly commit antisocial offences. For the first time, training offenders to better read facial expressions has reduced violent crime. The computer-based training – which only requires one person and a laptop to administer – is a promising new lead for managing antisocial behaviour.

Under UK law, such behaviour is defined as that which causes harassment, alarm or distress to another person, and includes violent crime, theft and criminal damage. People that repeatedly engage in this kind of behaviour, with scant regard for those they hurt, are described as having antisocial personality disorder by the American Psychological Association. "People tend to think that children who show antisocial behaviours are just criminals," says Stephane de Brito at the University of Birmingham, UK. "But if these behaviours persist, they are at an increased risk of developing so many problems, such as psychotic illness, depression and substance abuse."


http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27872-training-boys-to-recognise-anothers-fear-reduces-violent-crime.html#.VZ_7J19Viko

Hmmm really? Sounds a waste of time to me!
Most people can read another's face - some cases are exceptional, I grant you - but how can you not see fear or shock or any other emotion?

We see and sense these kind of things from an early age and then fine tune these innate skills.

eddie wrote:Hmmm really? Sounds a waste of time to me!
Most people can read another's face - some cases are exceptional, I grant you - but how can you not see fear or shock or any other emotion?

We see and sense these kind of things from an early age and then fine tune these innate  skills.

That is the problem though here Eddie that they are finding that those with anti social behaviours fail to register they are hurting someone or see that they are. There could very well be a factor here at play which clearly would need more research. Where if this is true, you have then a known problem from where to wok out a solution to this problem.

Hmmm I can see where you're coming from but it still sounds like something one should know already or at least have been witness to throughout life?

eddie wrote:Hmmm I can see where you're coming from but it still sounds like something one should know already or at least have been witness to throughout life?

I agree that why only now. It does then question why not before.
Again I still think its implications are important enough to further study more here.

On that I agree

Cool and on that note, I shall bid you a fond farewell Eddie.

eddie wrote:Hmmm I can see where you're coming from but it still sounds like something one should know already or at least have been witness to throughout life?

What isn't being considered here is the fact that the little shits don't care who they frighten, injure, torment or even kill. We are breeding a generation that has no concept of consequences. They are clueless in the main to the harm their behaviour causes.
And if they do know they don't care.

Nems wrote:

eddie wrote:Hmmm I can see where you're coming from but it still sounds like something one should know already or at least have been witness to throughout life?

What isn't being considered here is the fact that the little shits don't care who they frighten, injure, torment or even kill. We are breeding a generation that has no concept of consequences. They are clueless in the main to the harm their behaviour causes.
And if they do know they don't care.

That point is being considered Nems, by the fact they are seeing a connection in regards to those who carry out anti social behaviors are failing to register they are hurting someone or see that they are.
That is one of the main points of study and to help change this that these youths can change from this inability to recognise suffering to others.
There is still lots to be studied here and even more is needed to if they categorically prove the link, find out why some people are utterly devoid of recognizing suffering to others

So if the study is later backed up as credible it still needs to understand why they are unable to view suffering to others or block it out. They would need o also understand how they can block it out

More excuses for crime...

Tommy Monk wrote:More excuses for crime...

I have not seen one excuse made for the actual crimes committed.
There is a claim to whether those who commit anti-social behavior can visualize those they cause suffering to.
You only have to look at history itself to see countless examples of this happening throughout many centuries especially finding many examples in war.