Empathy for Children Scale (ECS)
Measures cognitive and emotional empathy for child victims across accident and sexual abuse scenarios.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Empathy for Children Scale (ECS) was developed by Gerard A. Schaefer, Steven Feelgood (2005). It is designed to measure Empathy for child victims. The scale is intended for use with Adults (including forensic populations and individuals with sexual interest in minors).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 75 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Story 1: Cognitive Empathy, Story 1: Emotional Empathy, Story 2: Cognitive Empathy, Story 2: Emotional Empathy, Story 3: Cognitive Empathy, Story 3: Emotional Empathy.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Story 1: Cognitive Empathy | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 | 15 |
| Story 1: Emotional Empathy | 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25 | 10 |
| Story 2: Cognitive Empathy | 26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40 | 15 |
| Story 2: Emotional Empathy | 41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50 | 10 |
| Story 3: Cognitive Empathy | 51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65 | 15 |
| Story 3: Emotional Empathy | 66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75 | 10 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not at all, 1 = 1, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = Very Much.
The scale includes 15 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 300. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Empathy: 0 – 100
- Moderate Empathy: 101 – 200
- High Empathy: 201 – 300
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha = .96.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 25 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.