Self-Compassionate Children, Resilient and Empathetic Adults

Abstract

Anna Papadimitriou and Eirini Karakasidou

The purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of self-compassion during childhood to resilience and empathy in adulthood. Specifically, although the literature suggests that practicing self-compassion leads to higher levels of resilience and empathy, no study has explored the extent to which childhood self-compassion affects resilience and empathy in adult life. A quantitative study was conducted with a sample of N=120 participants aged 25 to 50 years. Three questionnaires measuring self-compassion, resilience, and empathy were administered in Greek, with the self- compassion questionnaire adapted to reflect past experiences. The results indicated that self-compassion in childhood contributes to the development of resilience and empathy in adulthood. In other words, when we show compassion and kindness toward ourselves during difficult moments in childhood, as adults, we are able to build resilience resources and effectively cope with challenging situations, as well as put ourselves in others' shoes and understand them. Thus, the findings of this study highlight the importance of designing interventions based on self-compassion during childhood, potentially within counseling and school settings, so that children can develop skills that may lead to resilience and empathy resources in adulthood. However, as there are no similar past findings in the literature, further research is needed to strengthen these findings.

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