The Role of Empathy as a Mediator Between Callous-Unemotional Traits and Bullying

The present study examines the role of empathy as a mediator between callous-unemotional traits and bullying among students. The present descriptive correlational study was conducted on 250 students selected from the 14th district of Tehran, Iran through cluster sampling in the academic year of 2017 - 2018. The subjects completed the inventory of callous-unemotional traits (ICUT), the empathy scale and the Illinois bully scale (IBS). The data collected were analyzed in SPSS-23 and AMOS-23 using statistical correlations and structural equation modeling. The present results suggested that the effect of callous-unemotional Traits on empathy is negative and significant (-0.44) and on bullying is positive and significant (0.48). Empathy also exerted a positive and significant effect on bullying (0.30). Callous-unemotional traits indirectly affected bullying with empathy as the mediator. Authorities of schools and organizations are recommended to teach empathy to students to reduce the incidence of student bullying.