Helping children develop greater empathy-related awareness and skills can help prevent negative social behaviors such as bullying meanness and alienation. Empathy is a fundamental social emotion because it brings a sense of emotional connection to others. It is this awareness that is not only basic to all healthy relationships; it is the root of prosocial behavior altruism kindness and peace. Empathy has cognitive affective and behavioral components that can be learned and improved upon by children. Paperback.