MOOCs and Empathy as core tools for preparing professionals in charge of sexual abuse prevention

Abstract

This study presents an interdisciplinary experience between the fields of Information and Communication Technologies for Education and Psychology, by ways of a MOOC aimed at preventing sexual abuse of children and adolescents. The study builds on previous research and validates both, the influence of empathy on professionals in the field of prevention, and how it can be improved by means of adequate training. The objectives were reached thanks to an online training program carried out in several cohorts for six years. The role of dispositional empathy was evaluated with personal interviews, focus groups, participant observation and specifically designed polls. The results were statistically correlated and contrasted considering how social events may influence the perception of participants. The results validate not only the methodology, but also the importance of training on empathy for the professionals in the area.