Scout, because of her young age, does not always understand adult behaviour. In particular, she does not always understand social cues and traditions. However, her lack of prejudice in terms of what is proper causes her to have great potential for empathetic growth.
We can see several examples of Scout's developing empathy throughout the book. For example, we see that Scout is baffled at a teacher's behaviour when she criticizes Hitler's prejudice towards Jews, but is herself prejudiced towards blacks. Another example is how, although Scout dislikes most "girly" things, she comes to appreciate the "ladylike," yet strong behaviour of her Aunt Alexandra. Scout's greatest accomplishment is towards the end of the book. She learns that while humans are capable of great cruelty, they can also be very good, and that understanding and sympathy can often mitigate their bad impulses.