Social distance toward people with intellectual disabilities and empathy are important aspects of study for future special educators and rehabilitators. Special educators and rehabilitators should show a lower social distance toward people with intellectual disabilities and a high empathy index. The main goal of this research is to examine the correlation between social distance toward people with intellectual disabilities and empathy, as well as differences in the manifestation of social distance and empathy concerning the year of study. The sample consisted of 60 students divided into two subgroups: 30 students in lower years of study (first and the second year) and 30 students in higher years of study (third and fourth year). Three scales were used: The Social Distance subscale from the Mental Retardation Attitude Inventor-Revised (MRAI-R), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and the General Questionnaire. The research results showed that students in special education and rehabilitation show a low social distance toward people with intellectual disabilities, and students with higher years of study show less social distance compared to students with lower years of study. Students manifest a high index of empathy, and there are no differences concerningthe year of study. There is no correlation between social distance toward people with intellectual disabilities and empathy among special education and rehabilitation students. The results indicate the need to analyze content and the hours of practical classes in the faculty study program, and to include content that will encourage the strengthening of empathy among students.Key words:attitudes, social distance, empathy, special education and rehabilitation

Uvod. Agresivnim se smatra ponašanje koje ima takav intenzitet, učestalosti trajanje da ozbiljno ugrožava fizičku bezbjednost osobe/osoba ili kojeozbiljno ograničava njihovo socijalno funkcionisanje. Cilj ovog istraživanjaje da se utvrdi intenzitet i pojavni oblici agresije kod žena sa intelektualnomometenošću smještenih u instituciji u odnosu na težinu intelektualneometenosti, starosnu dob i dužinu boravka u instituciji.Metode. Uzorak je obuhvatio 115 ispitanica na trajnom smještaju u JU“Dom za osobe sa invaliditetom” u Višegradu. Za procjenu agresivnog ponašanjakorišćena je Skala neprijateljstva i agresije za odrasle, Reaktivna/Proaktivna (The Adult Scale Of Hostility and Agression, Reactive/ ProactveA- SHARP; Matlock & Aman, 2011).Rezultati. Žene sa lakom intelektualnom ometenošću pokazuju visok nivoagresivnog ponašanja na svim subskalama pri čemu su najviši skorovi nasupskali neprijateljstvo (26,37 ±7,37). U grupi ispitanica starijih od 51 godinuutvrđen je statistički značajno veći skor na supskali verbalna agresijau odnosu na ispitanice mlađe od 30 godina (13,89 ± 9,23 vs. 6,12 ± 9,39;p = 0,025). Kod ispitanica koje su u instituciji boravile duže od 10 godinautvrđeno je veće ispoljavanje neprijateljske agresije u odnosu na one kojesu boravile kraće (22,49 ±11,22 vs. 17,58 ± 13,14; p = 0,033).Zaključak. Ispitanice sa lakom intelektualnom ometenošću su pokazalenajveći nivo agresivnog ponašanja na svim subskalama pri čemu su najvišiskorovi na supskali neprijateljstva. Ispitanice starije od 51 godine ispoljavalesu najviši stepen verbalne agresije, dok su ispitanice sa boravkomu instituciji dužim od 10 godina ispoljavale najviše neprijateljske agresijeusmjerene ka drugima.