Empathy serves towards bringing people closer and facilitating communication in all human relations in all fractions of daily life. People feel that they are understood and valued when others empathize with them. Being understood by other persons and being valued relaxes individuals and makes them feel good (Geçtan, 1984; Pervin, 1989; Moore, 1990; Baltaş and Baltaş, 1993; Voltan-Acar, 1994; Gander and Gardiner, 1995; Dökmen, 2004).

Individuals learn how to accept, adapt to and behave in social life. Following these phases, they gain acceptance. Individuals can only participate in social communication if they gain social acceptance. One of the most important prerequisites of acceptance is empathy. It is important to be aware of the feelings and needs of other individuals just like their own needs and feelings. Individuals capable of empathic thinking can interpret events in a more positive way and comprehend the problems of others more easily. Empathic thinking is an important factor in solving relationship problems. These characteristics also facilitate acceptance by the social environment.

Individuals with empathic thinking encounter fewer problems in their relations because they are aware of and can express their own feelings (Yavuzer, 2002; Kalkınç, 2003; Dökmen, 2004). Various factors are involved in individuals gaining empathic skills. Previous studies emphasize that gender, physical abuse, and the attitudes of teachers and parents are effective on developing empathic skills (Hanko, 2002). Empathy skills are also related to sex, age, aggressive behavior, and teachers and parents’ attitudes (Hanko, 2002; Hoffman, 2002; Strayer & Roberts, 2004; Jolliffe & Farrington, 2006; Larden, Melin, Holst & Langstrom, 2006; Perez Albeniz and Joaquin, 2006; de Kemp, Overbeek, de Wied, Engels & Scholte, 2007; Köksal Akyol, Oğuz & Yıldız Bıçakçı, 2007, Ceylan et al. 2009).  In the behaviors and emotions of children, empathy skills of parents and childminders are known to play an important role in (Hoffman, 2002).

Ceylan, R., Yıldız Bıçakçı,M., Gürsoy, F. & Aral, N. (2009). Examination of the relationship between teachers’ professional self-esteem and empathic skills. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 37(5), 679-682. Dökmen, Ü. (1988). Empatinin yeni bir modele dayanılarak ölçülmesi ve psikodrama ile geliştirilmesi. Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi, 21 (1-2); 155-190. Hanko, G. (2002). Promoting empathy through the dynamics of staff development: what schools can offer their teachers as learners.. Pastoral Care in Education, 20(2), 12-16. Hoffman, M.L. (2002). Empathy and moral development: Implications for caring and justice. New York: Cambridge University Press. Köksal Akyol, A. Oğuz, V. & Yıldız Bıçakçı, M. (2007). A Research on the empathic skills and the attitudes towards their profession of preservice teachers of early childhood education. The Teacher and the teaching profession: current research and international issues. M.-S. Giannakaki (eds) p. 365-375, Hardback, ATINER. Köksal Akyol, A. &Koçer Çiftçibaşı, H. (2006). Okul öncesi öğretmenliği anabilim dallarında öğrenim gören öğrenciler ve alanda çalışan öğretmenlerin empatik becerilerinin incelenmesi. I. Uluslar Arası Ev Ekonomisi Kongresi, 22-24 Mart 2006, s. 309-314, Ankara:Oluşum Yayıncılık.. Lardén, M., Melin, L., Holst, Ul. & Långström, N. (2006). Moral judgement, cognitive distortions and empathy in incarcerated delinquent and community control adolescents. Psychology, Crime & Law, 12(5), 453-462. Perez-Albeniz, A. & Joaquin, D.P. (2006). Empathy and risk status for child physical abuse: the effects of an adult victim's pain cues and an adult victim's intent on aggression. Aggressive Behavior, 32(5),421-432. Pervin, L.A. (1989). Personality theory and research. New York: John Willey and Sons Inc. Poyraz, H. & Dere, H. (2001). Okulöncesi eğitiminin ilke ve yöntemleri. Ankara: Anı Yayıncılık. Strayer, J. & Roberts, W. (2004). Children's anger, emotional expressiveness, and empathy: relations with parents’ empathy, emotional expressiveness, and parenting practices. Social Development, 13(2), 229-254. Voltan-Acar, N. (1994). Terapötik iletişim kişilerarası ilişkiler. Ankara: Ertem Matb., Hacettepe Üniversitesi Yayınları. Yavuzer, H. (2002). Çocuk psikolojisi. İstanbul: Remzi Kitabevi.