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The relationship between animal cruelty in children and adolescent and interpersonal violence: A systematic review
... Alleyne and Parftt [15] and Gullone [25] focused on understanding the shared characteristics of animal abuse with other violent behaviors. Miller [33], Mota-Rojas et al. [32], and Longobardi and Badenes-Ribera [30] explored the link between animal cruelty and violence to people, while Cleary et al. [21] reviewed animal cruelty in abusive adult intimate partner relationships. Tomlinson et al. [38] explored empirical evidence that supports the co-occurrence of family violence and animal cruelty. ...
... Reference lists of these identifed articles were meticulously examined to unveil additional studies that could contribute valuable insights into the research. Tis methodical approach ensures a comprehensive and well-informed examination of the topic, drawing on a range of reputable sources to enhance the depth and breadth of the study [30] Literature review Te application of inclusion and exclusion criteria enabled us to locate 32 studies published between 1995 and July 2017 Te results show that episodes of animal cruelty during childhood and adolescence tend to co-occur alongside other forms of violent and antisocial behaviors. Cruelty to animals was associated with bullying, behavioral problems, experiences of abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), and juvenile delinquency [31] Cohort study Data were from the Environmental Risk (E-risk) ...
... Despite the various motivations and risk factors, which can be numerous, it is essential to thoroughly explore each motivation for harming animals. Appropriate measures should then be implemented from both a justice and health perspective [30]. ...
The abuse of animals is evident in different contexts. This article takes two discrete bodies of literature: threats and actual harm to animals in the context of domestic abuse and sex offending in the context of animal abuse. The reviews focus on the implications for risk assessment and risk management and explore the following questions: What is the international evidence base for threats or violence towards animals, with a specific focus on risk assessment, in the context of domestic abuse? What is the international evidence base for threats or violence towards animals, with a specific focus on risk assessment, in the context of sex offending? What similarities and differences are evident in the approaches in the two bodies of literature? A scoping review methodology was applied to the two bodies of animal abuse literature. The domestic abuse literature elicited 27 studies for full inclusion, while the sex-offending literature examined 15 papers. A broad analysis of the literature was taken to understand the implications for risk assessment and risk management. In the context of risk assessment, the literature indicates that threats or harm towards animals, including the sex abuse of animals, has the potential to be used in four ways: (1) animal abuse as an indicator of domestic abuse; (2) childhood animal abuse as a signal of other problems within a household; (3) animal abuse as an indicator of more severe domestic abuse; and (4) the inclusion of pet abuse as a unique form of domestic abuse. The comparison of the literature on animal abuse and animal sex abuse highlighted not only different approaches theoretically and methodologically but also important similarities. Both literature highlighted gaps in risk assessment, risk management, and the lack of identification and training in this neglected area of the service system prevention and response.
... Mnoga ponašanja koja izazivaju patnju životinja (na primer, lov, poljoprivreda, eksperimentisanje sa životinjama, ponašanja uključena u specifične kulturne ili verske rituale) nisu društveno i pravno sankcionisana, iako posledice ovih okrutnih radnji mogu izazvati fizičku, psihičku i emocionalnu bol i patnju životinja. Takva ponašanja, najčešće, smatraju se društveno prihvatljivim i nedevijantnim (Gullone, 2012;Chan, Wong, 2019;Longobardi, Badenes-Ribera, 2019;Ladny, Meyer, 2020). ...
... Okrutnost prema životinjama se prema Dijagnostičkom i statističkom priručniku za mentalne poremećaje (treće izdanje) i njegovim naknadnim revidiranim verzijama smatra jednim od dijagnostičkih kriterijuma za poremećaj ponašanja (conduct disorder) i antisocijalni poremećaj ličnosti (American Psichiatric Association prema Dadds i dr., 2004: 321;Vaughn i dr., 2009Vaughn i dr., : 1213Gullone, 2012: 99;Longobardi, Badenes-Ribera, 2019: 201). Poremećaj ponašanja se dijagnostifikuje kod dece ili adolescenata koji stalno i uporno krše osnovna prava drugih, društvene norme ili uzrasno specifična pravila ponašanja (Longobardi, Badenes-Ribera, 2019). ...
... Dve glavne teorijske perspektive koje su bile u osnovi istraživanja okrutnosti prema životinjama su hipoteza o postepenom napredovanju nasilja (hipoteza progresije) i hipoteza generalizacije devijantnosti (Flynn, 2011;Gullone, 2012;Longobardi, Badenes-Ribera, 2019;Cleary i dr., 2021). Prema hipotezi o postepenom napredovanju nasilja, okrutnost prema životinjama u detinjstvu prerasta u nasilje nad ljudima u odraslom dobu. ...
Cruelty to animals is a complex phenomenon that causes negative consequences
for both animals and children who are prone to such behaviour. A timely and
adequate reaction of key actors, who influence the upbringing of children
and those responsible for the protection of victims, is necessary to prevent
unfavourable outcomes for both victims and perpetrators. The paper aims to
point out the specifics of animal cruelty, theoretical explanations of this
phenomenon, as well as risk and related factors that are important for
understanding the phenomenon. Special attention in the paper is paid to
considering the possibility of preventive action to prevent and suppress
animal cruelty.
... Similarly, Currie [67] mentions that children who witness domestic violence have a higher predisposition to perpetuate animal abuse than children who did not grow up in this disrupted environment. Furthermore, when children or adolescents witness animal abuse, they tend to replicate this behavior in the future, both animal abuse, bullying, and juvenile delinquency [68]. ...
... Children engaged in animal abuse are more likely to show violent criminal behavior in adulthood, mainly when acts of animal cruelty are recurrent, engage bestiality, involve drowning, choking, burning, and the motive behind animal cruelty is fun [68,[82][83][84]. Empirically, animal abuse has also been related to a tendency towards the emergence of serial killers [85]. ...
... Diverse studies point out the importance of maintaining an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach in the timely recognition of domestic violence, from a public health perspective [174][175][176][177]. Such is the case of the professional practice of the dentist, since, on many occasions, it is in the mouth where signs of physical violence can be detected [178,179], or of veterinarians when detecting animal abuse [70,166,167], which has been closely related to the tendency to develop criminal acts later [68]. Training and awareness are essential for health professionals, their position to face intrafamily violence and hence the importance of carrying out more research and programs for this purpose, as well as systematic and effective actions with the purpose of humanizing and taking care of the health of mistreated people [152]. ...
Simple Summary
Animal abuse is widely recognized as both a risk factor for and a potential consequence of interpersonal violence. In children, especially, factors such as dysfunctional families, antisocial personality, physical, psychological, or intimate abuse, and frequent exposure to domestic aggression or animal abuse have been confirmed as factors that can predispose young people to perform acts of animal cruelty. It is important to recognize warning signs such as those identified as the McDonald triad (bedwetting, pyromania, animal cruelty). A one health, one welfare approach, incorporating physicians, veterinarians, other health care professionals, social workers, and humane education, is critical for the recognition, management, and prevention of domestic violence, involving both humans and other animals.
Abstract
For years now, the importance of animal cruelty has been gaining recognition in the industrialized cities of the West. Animal cruelty encompasses any act that causes a non-human animal unnecessary pain or suffering, including negligence, abandonment, abuse, torture, bestiality, and even theriocide. This represents a red flag for society as a whole because people who commit such acts can escalate violence and direct it to other individuals. Animal cruelty and interpersonal violence—as well as other socially undesirable conduct such as bullying, antisocial personality disorder, rape, and serial murder—are closely related, so timely diagnoses of either one can help prevent acts of aggression. It is necessary, therefore, to analyze and try to understand whether there are early indicators that may help identify potentially violent individuals. It is well known that kids from homes with actual violence in their homes show a high tendency to reproduce such behaviors with both animals and other people. In conclusion, much research and rethinking of the importance of the veterinarian in detecting animal abuse and cruelty is needed to help detect and prevent cases of interpersonal violence that may arise over time.
... The "positive" CAI literature has expanded into a range of domains (McCune et al., 2014), with findings suggesting that animals can reduce stress , can be sources of attachment Muldoon et al., 2019), and can help with children's socialization and empathy building (Daly & Morton, 2009). By contrast, cruelty to animals is a red flag for cycles of violence and trauma (DeGue & DiLillo, 2009), with children modeling aggressive behaviors they witness toward animals (Thompson & Gullone, 2006), is related to emotional behavioral disorders and predictive of later violent crime (Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2019). However, this rift between "positive" and "negative" CAI dichotomizes the spectrum of children's relationships with animals and separates phenomena which can co-occur, such as attachment and harm behaviors. ...
... To date, several reviews on Childhood Animal Cruelty (CAC) have been carried out (Chan & Wong, 2019;Felthous & Kellert, 1987;Miller, 2001), but only two have been systematic reviews Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2019) and both are discipline-specific (clinical psychology and criminology respectively), so that neither provides a synthesis of the whole literature. reviewed psychological risk factors for CAC and presented two major findings. ...
... Second, psychological issues observed to co-occur with CAC include behavioral disorders, Conduct Disorder (CD) and its modifier Callous-Unemotional (CU) Traits, and low empathy. Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera (2019) reviewed the link between CAC and interpersonal violence, finding that CAC is linked to bullying and delinquent behavior, although motives and methods of cruelty were not reliable predictors. Despite only sharing six publications, both and Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera (2019) highlight similar issues in the field: definitions of CAC being inconsistent, methodologies relying heavily on retrospective accounts, and populations being quite narrow and therefore difficult to generalize from. ...
Several perspectives inform research on Childhood Animal Cruelty (CAC), but these perspectives are poorly integrated with each other and there is little dialogue with the rest of the child–animal interaction (CAI) literature. This study reviews the current empirical and theoretical literature on CAC to explore issues regarding research definitions and methodologies. Following the RAMESES guidelines, we performed a meta-narrative review of the CAC literature from 2010 to 2020, including theoretical papers and original research published in English. Four databases (OVID, Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCOhost) were searched for terms relating to children, animals, and harm in the title and keyword fields. This generated 416 results, and 69 publications were reviewed here. We explore theories of CAC in relation to the historical research strands and discuss how well they are supported by existing empirical evidence. We thematically classified empirical study findings, which showed that (1) environmental factors that predict CAC include exposure to childhood adversity, especially experiences of violence and witnessing animal cruelty, (2) CAC is recurrent or has extreme links to later interpersonal violence, (3) psychological risk factors linked to CAC include externalizing disorders, lower empathy, lower self-esteem, poorer family functioning, and attitudes accepting of cruelty, (4) witnessing animal cruelty is a serious risk factor for a range of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and (5) a range of psychosocial barriers exist in measuring and reporting CAC. Issues with measures, population selection, and definitions focusing only on more severe forms of CAC are factors which potentially constrain the generalizability of results. We highlight the need for developmentally appropriate definitions of CAC and methods of measurement and argue that the CAC literature is not well aligned with animal welfare legislation. We propose that CAC should be integrated into a broader spectrum of childhood behaviors toward animals.
... Животные могут становиться объектами проявления насилия [Randour et al., 2021]. Более того, жестокое обращение с домашними животными в молодом возрасте выступает важным индикатором психологического неблагополучия человека и может быть связано с его дальнейшими неудачами в построении образовательной и профессиональной траекторий [Longobardi, Badenes-Ribera, 2019;Randour et al., 2021;Wauthier, Williams, 2021]. ...
... Из проведенных исследований известно, что детское насилие над животными обычно проявляется в возрасти шести-семи лет, и дети, совершающие его, во взрослом возрасте более предрасположены к развитию поведенческих проблем и вовлечению в девиантные и делинквентные практики по сравнению с детьми, не применяющими насилие над животными [Randour et al., 2021]. Важно отметить, что делинквентные практики, риск вовлечения в которые выше у людей, осуществлявших насилие над животными в детстве, не ограничиваются уголовными преступлениями, но включают и административные правонарушения, например, вождение в нетрезвом виде, нарушение общественного порядка, разведение костра [Longobardi, Badenes-Ribera, 2019;Randour et al., 2021;Wauthier, Williams, 2021]. Более прямых свидетельств, убедительно демонстрирующих различия либо сходства в образовательных результатах, профессиональной деятельности, заработке людей, жестоко обращавшихся с домашними животными в молодом возрасте, в литературе пока не предложено. ...
В статье предлагается обзор эффектов, детерминант и методов изучения взаимодействия животных и молодых людей. Хотя в литературе подробно рассмотрены различные типы воздействия социального окружения на жизненные траектории молодежи разных возрастов (детей, подростков и молодых взрослых), роль взаимоотношений с животными описана скупо. Данная работа касается двух контекстов, в которых обычно сталкиваются юный человек и животные: домашнего и контекста образовательных учреждений. На основе анализа результатов исследований, изложенных в научной литературе, делается вывод, что отношения с животными способны улучшить навыки эмоциональной регуляции, могут влиять на формирование чувства ответственности за благополучие других живых существ, усиливать социальную интегрированность молодого человека и вместе с тем закреплять модели жестокого и агрессивного поведения. В заключении работы описываются потенциальные направления дальнейших эмпирических исследований. Статья может оказаться полезной для исследователей детей, подростков, молодежи и взаимодействий между людьми и животными.
Благодарность. Исследование выполнено за счет гранта Российского научного фонда (проект № 21-78-00069).
... Other theories related to deviance covered in the literature reviews are social learning theory, social control theory, differential association theory, life-course perspectives, social disorganization, strain theory, subcultural theory, social concern theory, routine activities theory or situational approaches, lifestyle exposure theory, arousal theory, criminology's situational approach, rational choice, delinquent problem-solving, deviance regulation theory, interactionist conception, neo-cognitive learning theory, genebased evolutionary theory, desistance theories, neutralization theory, frustration theory, etc. In the majority of the literature reviews, deviance was not studied as a single phenomenon, but as it related to other factors such as religiosity (Adamczyk et al., 2017), family influence (parental communication (Roisko et al., 2014), parental styles (Ruiz-Hernández et al., 2019), parental control, family processes, family history of substance use), peer-related factors (peer influence (Leung et al., 2014), peer network, peer association, motivations of dissent in social groups), individual factors (animal cruelty (Chan and Wong, 2019a,b;Longobardi and Badenes-Ribera, 2019), victimization and sexual victimization [(McGrath et al., 2011;Dennis et al., 2012;Engström, 2021), child maltreatment (Fitton et al., 2020), non-emotional callousness and impulsivity (Toro et al., 2020), motivational processes (Agnew, 1995)]. Concerning online deviance, most of the systematic reviews refer to a specific type of behavior, which is cyberbullying (Kowalski et al., 2014;Watts et al., 2017;Vale et al., 2018;Rosa et al., 2019;Zych et al., 2019). ...
... By holistically examining the two datasets, we provided an overview of the field. As compared to other systematic reviews focused only on a specific field of deviance (McGrath et al., 2011;Brauer and Tittle, 2012;Longobardi and Badenes-Ribera, 2019;Estévez et al., 2020), we analyzed the deviance in a general manner. This was possible by using computational text analysis, method which allowed an accurate screening of nearly 500 sources. ...
Deviance is a complex phenomenon that influences aspects both at the macro and micro levels, extensively studied by social scientists The main objective of this article was to conduct a systematic literature review for clustering the topics on adolescent deviance and online deviance. Grounded in Pickering's and Byrne's guidelines and PRISMA protocol, we identified the most recurrent themes, theories and predictors in the 61 most-cited articles related to the concept of deviance from the database of Web of Science, as well as in 488 abstracts of representative papers. The results emphasized four main clusters of topics, namely, predictors of deviance, online deviance, socio-constructivist theories, and research based theories of deviant behavior. The findings highlighted that researchers frequently use strain theory, social learning, self-control, and social control theories in their studies. Our systematic literature review revealed also the most encountered predictors of deviance, which we have classified into five main categories: family patterns, socio-demographic aspects, socialization, victimization, and school and individual factors. For online deviance, family patterns, socio-demographic aspects, victimization, school and individual factors, and Internet and computer use have been determined to be the main groups of predictors. The present systematic literature review makes an important contribution to the understanding of deviance by presenting an overview of the phenomenon.
... The association between cruelty to animals and other forms of violence is now well documented in children, adolescent, and adult samples (Beirne, 2009;DeMello, 2012;Flynn, 2012;Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2018), and also in multiple sample categories such as incarcerated offenders (Kellert & Felthous, 1985;Tallichet & Hensley, 2004;Trentham et al., 2018), school shooters (Verlinden et al., 2000), public mass shooters (Arluke et al., 2018), serial killers (Ressler et al., 1988;Wright & Hensley, 2003), as well as in the general population (Baldry, 2005;Lucia & Killias, 2011;Vaughn et al., 2009). While the two main etiological interpretations of the phenomenon are still being debated (the "graduation hypothesis," which posits that cruelty towards animals occurs at a specific chronologic stage and prepares violence towards humans, and the "generalized deviance hypothesis," in which animal cruelty is a marker of a general propensity towards deviance), there is global consensus that violence towards animals is related to violence towards humans. ...
... While the two main etiological interpretations of the phenomenon are still being debated (the "graduation hypothesis," which posits that cruelty towards animals occurs at a specific chronologic stage and prepares violence towards humans, and the "generalized deviance hypothesis," in which animal cruelty is a marker of a general propensity towards deviance), there is global consensus that violence towards animals is related to violence towards humans. As recent meta-analytic reviews have indicated, the available data confirming this link are well developed (Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2018;Monsalve et al., 2017). Forensic veterinary as well as social work practitioners are developing guidelines to take this phenomenon into account in their diagnosis tools (Merck, 2012;Monsalve et al., 2017), and since 2016, the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System in the USA has included data on acts of animal maltreatment (Levitt, 2018). ...
Animal abuse is considered a significant marker of violence towards humans, and understanding its determinants is important. In this first large-scale survey on adolescent animal abuse carried out in France, we introduced and tested the relative explanatory power of a new variable potentially involved in animal abuse: speciesism, defined as the belief that humans are intrinsically more valuable than individuals of other species. In a school sample composed of 12,344 participants aged 13–18 years, we observed that 7.3% of participants admitted having perpetrated animal abuse. Consistent with existing studies, cats and dogs were the animals most often abused. Animal abuse was a solitary behavior approximately half of the time, and in 25% of instances it involved only another person. A multivariate logistic regression revealed that animal abuse was more frequent among males and that it occurred more often among adolescents with less positive family climate, lower support from friends, lower attachment to school, and with higher anxio-depressive symptomatology. As implied by the generalized deviance hypothesis, animal abuse was related to more deviant behavior such as drunkenness and bullying. Moreover, this study showed for the first time that animal abuse was higher among adolescents who endorsed speciesist attitudes. These results suggest that beyond psychopathological factors, normative beliefs regarding the value of animals and their human use may also be involved in animal mistreatment.
... Because of its obvious implications for animal welfare as well as its significant connection with human mental health and interpersonal violence (Chan & Wong, 2019;Clearly et al., 2021;Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2018;Monsalve et al., 2017;Motas-Rojas et al., 2022;Vähä-Aho & Kaakinen, 2024), animal abuse has attracted research attention from scholars working in various fields, including psychiatry and psychology (Bright et al., 2018;Chan & Wong, 2024;Gullone, 2012;Henry, 2018;Holoyda & Newman, 2016;Muri et al., 2022;Rock et al., 2021), criminology (Agnew, 1998;Arluke, Lankford, Madfis, 2018;Chan & Wong, 2024;Taylor & Fitzgerald, 2018), social work (Hartman et al., 2019), forensic research (Ascione et al., 2018;Johnson, 2018), and veterinary science (Monsalve et al., 2017). ...
Despite growing awareness of the social and psychological issues linked with animal abuse, there is a lack of large-scale research on the multidimensional factors at play in relation to such abuse in the adult population. In this first survey on animal abuse carried out in higher education in France and based on a highly powered sample (N =55,040 participants), we investigated the relative weight of risk factors pertaining to major criminological dimensions in a multivariate model controlling for relevant demographics: General Strain Theory (GST), Social Bond Theory (SBT), and Generalized Deviance Theory (GDT), as well as three key psychological dimensions: Callousness, Sensation seeking, and Impulse control difficulties. We observed that 6.4% of the participants declared having perpetrated animal abuse in the past, with males having done so about three times more often than females. Animal abuse was linked with callousness, difficulties in impulse control and sensation seeking. Participants who reported a climate of violence in their family, or who had witnessed acts of violence by their father against their mother, were particularly prone to abuse animals, which supported GST predictions. To a lesser extent, in line with SBT, animal abuse was higher among students with lower attachment to their mother, and who had a weaker belief in justice. Finally, animal abuse was perpetrated significantly more often by participants reporting higher alcohol consumption, as predicted by GDT. In summary, animal harm is related to a combination of risk factors pertaining to major criminological and psychological perspectives on aggression and violence, knowledge of which is useful in prioritizing future research directions and prevention strategies.
... Animal abuse, as a behavioural pattern, can occur before, during or simultaneously with violence against humans (Gullone, 2012). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders identifies this pattern of violence as a significant diagnostic criterion for conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder (American Psychiatric Association, as cited by Dadds et al., 2002;Vaughn et al., 2009;Gullone, 2012;Longobardi and Badenes-Ribera, 2019). ...
The criminal offense of animal killing and abuse was introduced into the Criminal Code of the Republic of Serbia in 2006, and in 2009, the Animal Welfare Law was adopted. It is alarming that the perpetrators of this criminal offense, who exhibit violent behaviour toward animals, are often very young individuals, i.e., children under the age of 14 and so who cannot be held criminally responsible. Timely recognition and punishment of such behaviour is crucial, as it can help prevent future violence against humans and raise public awareness about the significance and role of animals in our society. According to Serbian law, children under the age of 14 are not criminally responsible, while for minors between the ages of 14 and 18, a special juvenile procedure is conducted, and specific sanctions are imposed. The authors? initial hypothesis is that children and minors relatively often abuse animals, but the social and legal response to such behaviour is inadequate, and indeed, often entirely lacking. The aim of this paper is to highlight the frequency of animal cruelty among juvenile offenders and children and to emphasize the importance of a timely and appropriate response from all relevant sectors of society.
... LMcD believed that the general public's mental health improves from knowing animals are being protected by the law. SAW disagreed with this, because the relevant sections and their accompanying explanatory notes did not explicitly reference the protection of human well-being, and no provisions were made to protect vulnerable groups, like family members or children, from those convicted of animal abuse charges (despite animal abuse being also a known predictor of abuse against humans [135]). This was interpreted as an indication that law-makers did not intend for the legislation to address the direct or indirect impact animal cruelty can have on human health and welfare. ...
Dogs and humans have shared a complex relationship throughout history, with law serving as an important tool to manage dogs’ integration into human societies. As dogs increasingly become regarded as family members in Western countries, and as similar trends emerge globally, it is vital to understand how legislation balances the interests of stakeholders. Existing studies often focus on localised disputes and fragmented legal areas, limiting understanding of how dog-related laws interact and potentially conflict. We developed a conceptual framework to systematically analyse dog-related legislation, using the United Kingdom as a case study. Identified through a systematic search, laws were evaluated using content analysis based on the benefits provided to stakeholders, the regulated aspects of dog ownership, and whether benefits afforded to stakeholders occur in public or private spaces. We found that the greatest legislative focus was on dog welfare, dangerous dogs, and dog control, with little emphasis on areas like the breeding and sale of dogs. Eighty-two percent of laws that manage dogs in public space predominantly benefit the general public, often disadvantaging dogs and their owners, while 81% of laws that govern dogs within the home favour dogs. Owners consistently face legal obligations, but gain few benefits. These findings highlight misalignments between the law and dogs’ evolving societal roles, potentially contributing to public space conflicts and low compliance. The framework offers a tool for cross-country comparisons and assessing legislation for other species with similarly shifting roles.
... Childhood and Adolescent Animal Harm (CAAH) involves complex behaviours and is influenced by a range of biological, psychological and socio-environmental risk factors. Understanding and intervening in these risk factors is important to prevent animal harm and future harm to people [1]. The 'Violence Graduation Hypothesis' posits that childhood animal harm may be a precursor to violence against humans in adulthood [2]; however, it has been criticised for relying primarily on retrospective self-reports. ...
Childhood and Adolescent Animal Harm (CAAH) is influenced by biological, psychological and socio-environmental risk factors. Interventions to prevent animal harm among children and young people are essential for fostering empathy and reducing future harm. This study explores the perspectives of RSPCA stakeholders, to co-produce a redeveloped version of ‘Breaking the Chain’, an intervention addressing youth animal harm. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 RSPCA employees across a range of departments and geographical locations in England, UK. Thematic analysis was used to identify key insights on target groups, intervention content, delivery methods, and evaluation strategies. Two primary target groups were identified: universal audiences (primary school-aged children) and high-risk youth. Participants advocated for retaining the core content of the existing intervention while modernising resources to address contemporary risk factors, such as online exposure to animal harm while ensuring accessibility for neurodiverse audiences. Face-to-face delivery was favoured, complemented by digital resources. Evaluation was viewed as critical, with a focus on both short-term outcomes and long-term impact. This study highlights the importance of stakeholder involvement in co-producing effective cruelty prevention interventions. Future steps will involve a coproduction study with children and young people to gather their perspectives on the intervention redesign. This will be followed by a pilot and evaluation of the redesigned intervention, incorporating feedback from both the implementers (e.g., teachers, youth offending teams, RSPCA employees) and the recipients (children and young people).
... However, the studies that do exist show that cruelty to animals during childhood poses significant implications for not only the well-being of animals but also individual and societal welfare. This indicates that cruelty to animals is strongly linked to a child's psychological framework, and instances of animal abuse are likely interconnected with other behavioral or psychological issues, such as conduct disorder, and hold the potential for future interpersonal violence, criminal tendencies, and antisocial behavior (Hawkins et al., 2017;Longobardi and Badenes-Ribera, 2019;Wauthier et al., 2020). Our finding underscores the importance of conducting additional studies that specifically explore the dynamics between foster children or youth and animals within the residences of their caregivers. ...
This qualitative exploratory inquiry examined foster parents’ perspectives of the impact companion animals had on the children/youth in their care. Six foster parents were interviewed and six themes, including 12 subthemes, were uncovered: (1) provision of companionship (unconditional love); (2) strengthening of the foster home environment (environmental connection, increased feelings of safety); (3) teaching empathy (responsibility, compassion); (4) emotional regulation (grief, emotional support, calming presence); (5) benefits to foster parents (friendship, affection, emotional support, additional support); and (6) challenges. These findings have important implications for social work practice. Specific recommendations based on the findings are presented.
... Çocukların gelişimi açısından da hayvanlar konusunda sosyal duyarlılığın geliştirilmesi önemlidir (Arıkan, Bakır ve Özden, 2019). Özellikle çocukluk döneminde hayvanlara kötü davranışlarda bulunma ilerleyen yıllarda kişilerarası şiddet ve sosyal uyum problemlerinin habercisidir (Longobardi & Badenes Ribera, 2019). ...
... Almost all of them were of the opinion that such behavior is a symptom of moral corruption and that the teenagers' case should go to court. It is not clear what prompted those surveyed to be so unanimous-whether sensitivity to the harm to the animal and the desire to punish the perpetrators of violence or the intuitive belief that animal abuse in childhood creates a very serious risk of violence and aggression toward people later in life (Longobardi, Badenes-Ribera 2019). Therefore, the behavior of adolescents requires an absolute and firm response of formal control. ...
Celem artykułu jest prezentacja ocen formułowanych przez studentki prawa i pedagogiki resocjalizacyjnej wobec hipotetycznych sytuacji odnoszących się do różnych aspektów związanych z nieletnimi sprawcami czynów zabronionych. W badaniach zastosowano metodę vignette. Objęto nimi 96 studentek. Studentki oceniały sześć epizodów przedstawiających hipotetyczne sytuacje, w których ukazana została demoralizacja nieletnich. Okazuje się, że studentki prawa nieznacznie częściej formułowały oceny, które pokrywają się z literą prawa, podczas gdy w ocenach studentek pedagogiki widać było elastyczność, która wyraża się w tym, że były one bardziej skłonne do dawania „drugiej szansy” nieletnim sprawcom czynów zabronionych.
... Other portions of that literature explore the causes of crimes/harms against animals (Agnew, 1998;Nurse, 2016;Richard & Reese, 2019), and the characteristics of offenders who harm animals (Burchfield, 2018), with fewer studies focused on harms against domestic animals (Taylor & Fitzgerald, 2018). Some research has also indicated that harming animals is a pathway to other crimes such as homicide (Arluke et al., 2018;Wright & Hensley, 2003) or other forms of interpersonal violence (Lockwood & Arkow, 2016), and may act as an early indicator for the possibility of crime in later life (Holoyda & Newman, 2016;Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2019;Merz-Perez et al., 2001). ...
A large body of research examining crimes against animals exists. An overlooked question in that literature is whether animal social control responses contain race, class and ethnicity processing biases against offenders similar to those found in criminal justice outcomes. Addressing that possibility, the current study examined the geographic distribution of civil animal enjoinments employed to suspend an individual's pet ownership rights. SaTScan© was employed to identify census-tract level hot/cold spots for animal enjoinments. The analysis indicated that hot/cold spots were statistically associated with census-tract race, ethnicity and income characteristics. Thus, while enjoinments may protect some animals from harm, the enjoinment process itself contains evidence of discrimination, suggesting that enjoinments may reflect perceptions of social disorganization rather than the actual distribution of animal crimes.
... Especially when the quality of the relationship of children with their pets is considered a common variable, it is observed that attitudes towards animals spread towards empathy for people. Therefore, it is thought that empathetic skills of people in perceiving the needs of animals create a transfer effect on empathic skills and tendency established with humans (Endenburg & Van Lith, 2011;Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2019;Renck-Jalongo, 2018;Sobko et al., 2018). ...
The present study was carried out to investigate the empathetic tendencies of children with regard to keeping a pet at home and playing a musical instrument. The study was carried out with a total of 139 children, 72 girls and 67 boys, attending the third-fourth and fifth grades of a foundation primary school located in the city center of Denizli in Turkey. In the study, a Personal Information Form as developed by the researchers was used with an aim to obtain information about the child and family, and the "KA-Sİ Empathetic Tendency Scale for Children and Adolescents - Children's Form" was used in order to determine the empathetic tendency of children. Parametric (t-Test, One-Way Variance Analysis (ANOVA) and non-parametric (Mann-Whitney, Kuruskal Wallis) tests were applied based on whether the data demonstrated a normal distribution or not, in order to determine if the empathetic tendencies of children differ by the variables of keeping a pet and playing a musical instrument at home. As a result of the research; it was found that the variables of keeping a pet at home and playing a musical instrument were associated with a significant difference in the mean scores of children's empathetic tendency (p <0.05).Children can be given responsibilities about keeping pets, which makes important contribution to empathetic skill; children can be oriented to musical activities in line with their interests, and studies can be conducted with an aim to raise awareness of parents and the close environment.
... The capacity to suffer is the basis of moral concern for animals, and belief in animal sentience is a strong predictor of attitudes toward animals and their use (Peden et al., 2020). Cruelty to animals is defined as any act or omission that contributes to the pain, suffering, or unnatural death of animals, or in any way threatens their welfare (Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2019). Kellert and Felthous (1985) found that the most common motives for cruelty toward animals are to control an animal or influence its behavior, to retaliate against an animal, to satisfy a prejudice against a particular animal, to express violent and aggressive behaviors through an animal toward other people or animals, to impress others with one's capacity for violence, to entertain coworkers or friends, to retaliate against other people, and to displace hostility from a person to an animal. ...
Slaughterhouse workers are strategic capital for the meat industry in terms of operational and animal welfare issues; however, information about the attitudes of workers toward the human-animal relationship is limited. The main aim of our study was to identify the profiles of workers based on their attitudes toward pigs, occupational satisfaction, sociodemographics, and animal handling. The survey included 171 workers in 12 Colombian pig slaughterhouses. A factor analysis and a hierarchical cluster analysis identified four segments or worker profiles. The first comprised workers who relate to animals and their work in a mechanical way, the second comprised professional workers who are emotionally close to animals, the third comprised those committed to animals and their work, and the fourth comprised workers who are apathetic toward animals and work activity. The human-animal relationship at the slaughterhouse level is multifaceted, but is influenced by dependent on work satisfaction and sympathy toward the animals.
... This led the authors to conclude that those children were desensitized to violence to such a high degree that they did not perceive dogfights as cruel, immoral acts [99]. There is also a risk that exposure of young people to these organized acts of animal abuse may lead to later development of behavioral traits that include animal abuse as well as bullying and delinquency [100]. ...
Simple Summary
Dog fights are cruel and harmful events which have a clear impact on animal welfare. For this reason, many countries have banned these events via statute. However, in some regions of the world they are still legal. Moreover, the enforcement of legal bans can be problematic in countries where they are illegal, and they may still occur. This article provides background information on dog fighting and the welfare implications of it. This includes consideration for the pain inflicted, and its mechanisms of perception and recognition. It also analyzes the injuries and emotions experienced by the animals and considers the profile of the breeders and handlers involved in the activity. Since welfare concerns often extend beyond the animals’ fighting lives, a discussion around the possibilities of reintroduction into suitable environments for these animals is also made. Finally, attention is turned to the role that veterinarians can and should play in dealing with these issues of welfare.
Abstract
Throughout history it has been common to practice activities which significantly impact on animal welfare. Animal fighting, including dogfighting, is a prime example where animals often require veterinary care, either to treat wounds and fractures or to manage pain associated with tissue and where death may even result. Amongst the detrimental health effects arising are the sensory alterations that these injuries cause, which not only include acute or chronic pain but can also trigger a greater sensitivity to other harmful (hyperalgesia) or even innocuous stimuli (allodynia). These neurobiological aspects are often ignored and the erroneous assumption made that the breeds engaged in organized fighting have a high pain threshold or, at least, they present reduced or delayed responses to painful stimuli. However, it is now widely recognized that the damage these dogs suffer is not only physical but psychological, emotional, and sensory. Due to the impact fighting has on canine welfare, it is necessary to propose solution strategies, especially educational ones, i.e., educating people and training veterinarians, the latter potentially playing a key role in alerting people to all dog welfare issues. Therefore, the aim of this review is to describe the risk factors associated with dogfighting generally (dog temperament, age, sex, nutrition, testosterone levels, environment, isolation conditions, socialization, education, or training). A neurobiological approach to this topic is taken to discuss the impact on dog pain and emotion. Finally, a general discussion of the format of guidelines and laws that seek to sanction them is presented. The role that veterinarians can play in advancing dog welfare, rehabilitating dogs, and educating the public is also considered.
... The need to take animals' well-being seriously and protect them from harm is compounded by the facts of the humananimal violence link (e.g., Alleyne & Parfitt, 2019;Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2019). Succinctly, the well-established, evidence-backed violence link recognizes that the abuse of animals often occurs before and/or alongside the abuse of people. ...
This paper examines the landscape of animal cruelty investigations in Canada. Building on six years of mixed-methods research, we first outline the enforcement organizations and investigations process. Then we identify three challenges for jurisdictions across the country: the unevenness of forensic veterinary expertise, differing levels of Crown awareness and engagement, and relative availability of community-based programs and services to solve problems and prevent harm. We argue that further development of all three areas, including through strengthened multi-sector collaboration, will increase the effectiveness of animal protection, better protect vulnerable people, and augment public safety.
... The interpretation of SECs included sensitivities to both animals (Ascione, 2005;Young et al., 2018) and the natural environment (McBride et al., 2013;Payton et al., 2000), as reflected by our inclusion of studies promoting, for example, empathy toward animals and environmental stewardship. Expanding the focus of SECs to include animals aligns with research that shows that children and youth who are cruel toward animals are more likely to exhibit negative behaviors toward humans (Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2019). Moreover, in order to create a sustainable future to reverse anthropogenic climate change and to live in harmony with all beings who inhabit the Earth, it is apt to extend the promotion of SECs to animals and the environment (Goleman, 2010). ...
Interest in human–animal interaction (HAI) research is burgeoning. It is suggested that participation in universal programs that incorporate HAI can promote the social and emotional competencies (SECs) of children and youth. However, there is a dearth of empirical evidence (i.e., outcome evaluations) attesting to the effectiveness of such programs. To address this knowledge gap and consolidate findings across studies, a scoping review was conducted. The aim was to provide an overview of the research that combined HAI and the promotion of SECs. Three academic databases were searched for relevant publications published between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2020. The reference lists of the included publications were also screened for additional relevant publications. From an initial pool of 3,618 publications, 28 unique publications were selected for inclusion in the scoping review. Most authors reported positive outcomes in their evaluations. Across publications, variability was evident in the participating animals (dogs, horses, and wild birds were most common), the designs of programs, and the settings in which programs took place. A lack of methodological rigor was also found across all evaluations reported, including inconsistencies in the reporting of demographic information regarding human and animal participants, minimal use of randomization or control groups, lack of validity and reliability evidence to support outcome measures, and minimal attention to program implementation and animal welfare. The implications for future research are discussed, including the need to conduct rigorous evaluations of programs using reliable and validated measures and to address the inconsistencies in the descriptions of programs and in the reporting of outcome evaluations.
... 5,[8][9][10] Additionally, intentional animal abuse has been considered as a possible behavioral marker of a delinquency risk as well as violent criminal tendencies. [11][12][13] This association emphasizes the importance of identifying and prosecuting animal abuse cases to protect human well-being, emphasizing the fundamental role of veterinarians, not only as the advocate for animal welfare, but also to intervene to break the cycles of violence. 14 In addition to the connection to violence, animal abuse has also been associated with other types of social vulnerability such as socioeconomic disadvantage, low educational levels, and disability; 15,16 making detection of animal abuse important for the resolution of other social problems. ...
Los médicos veterinarios juegan un papel fundamental en la detección de casos de maltrato animal y violencia doméstica. Por lo tanto, es esencial que las escuelas de medicina veterinaria brinden una formación adecuada en bienestar animal y medicina veterinaria forense. El objetivo del presente artículo es caracterizar la percepción y el conocimiento de los estudiantes de medicina veterinaria sobre la formación en medicina veterinaria forense, bienestar animal y la asociación entre maltrato animal y violencia humana. Un cuestionario online fue distribuido a los estudiantes de las 227 y 22 facultades de medicina veterinaria en Brasil y Colombia, respectivamente. Pruebas de chi-cuadrado fueron realizadas para comparar las respuestas de las variables categóricas entre los estudiantes de Brasil y Colombia. La mayoría de los estudiantes encuestados indicaron que su escuela ofrecía capacitación en bienestar animal. Sin embargo, solo el 21.8% (47/216) de los estudiantes colombianos y el 43.1% (216/523) de los brasileños mencionaron que su facultad ofrecía formación en medicina veterinaria forense. En ambos países fueron identificadas deficiencias en la capacitación sobre la identificación de traumas no accidentales, denuncia de maltrato animal y el conocimiento sobre la asociación entre maltrato animal y violencia interpersonal. A pesar de esto, más del 90% de los estudiantes relataron ser conscientes de la relación que existe entre estos dos crímenes y la importancia de recibir capacitación obligatoria sobre maltrato animal y medicina veterinaria forense. Adicionalmente, la mayoría de los encuestados reconocieron que el maltrato animal incluye tanto el abuso físico como el mental. Nuestros resultados destacan la necesidad de mejorar la educación en bienestar animal, maltrato animal, violencia humana y medicina veterinaria forense en las facultades de medicina veterinaria de Brasil y Colombia.
... Cruelty towards animals, included in the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2013) as a symptom of conduct disorder (CD), is associated with psychopathic traits in childhood (Dadds et al. 2006a;Gullone 2014;Hartman et al. 2019), co-occurs with various forms of offending in adolescence (Lucia and Killias 2011), and predicts interpersonal violence later in life (Longobardi and Badenes-Ribera 2019;Merz-Perez et al. 2001). One of the factors thought to contribute to animal cruelty is reduced empathy and concern for the well-being of animals (McPhedran 2009). ...
Cruelty to animals is a symptom of conduct disorder and associated with psychopathic traits in childhood. One of the factors thought to contribute to animal cruelty is reduced empathy and concern for the well-being of animals. A first aim of this study was to examine empathy towards animals in distress in male adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) and high or low psychopathic traits, and normal controls (NC). Psychopathic traits were assessed by the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD). Respondents were exposed to a short film clip depicting a baby bear in distress. Heart rate (HR) responses were monitored during film exposure. Afterwards, respondents were asked to report the emotions they had observed and experienced. Contrary to expectations based on research on human empathy, no group differences were found in empathy-related responses to witnessing animal distress. Both DBD groups and normal controls observed equal levels of distress in the baby bear, experienced as much empathy and sympathy, and showed similar levels of HR reduction during the most dramatic scene. Results suggest that empathy for humans does not generalize to animals, and vice versa. A second aim was to examine the associations between empathy-related responses and the broad concept of psychopathy as well as its dimensions. The relationships were different and for the most part reversed in the NC and DBD groups. Group proved to be an important moderating factor, indicating that results obtained within a sample of healthy adolescents do not generalize to adolescents with DBD, and vice versa.
... Detention of the defendant during the trial process has not yet begun and during the trial, process phase is to avoid the treatment of violence against children, the detention of the defendant is intended so that the victim is not threatened by the defendant either social threats or threats that are physical attacks (Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2019). The physical attack in question is a threat of violence because the defendant feels unaccepted by the allegations given to him because these allegations can arouse emotions and ultimately result in violence against the child victim. ...
TNI and Children are the two parties that are protected by special laws and regulations. Members of the TNI are committed and submit to military legislation. Apparatus who committed crimes have to follow the military’s criminal law and military court. Meanwhile, children as the victims of criminal acts have the rights that are legally protected in the legislation on child protection. The problems on this research are (1) How is Implementation of Act No. 35 of 2014 About Child Protection against child sex abuse committed by TNI in Judicial Process at Military Court II-10 Semarang? (2) How does the judge’s consideration about the Criminal adjudication to the suspect of the child sex abuse committed by TNI (Case Study of Military Court II-10 Semarang’s Verdict No. 62-K/PM.II-10/AD/IX/2016)? This study uses a qualitative method located in Indonesia with a Verdict as the object of research. The data collection techniques using document and literature study. The result of research, 1) Implementation of Act No. 35 of 2014 About Child Protection in Judicial Process at Military Court II-10 Semarang, i.e (1) Arresting the defendant (2) Giving the child as a victim an opportunity to speak up some testimony (3) The result of Visum et Repertum as a Health service (4) Giving detention and forfeit to defendant along with dismissal from military service 2) Judge's consideration of the Criminal adjudication of perpetrators of the Child Sex Crimes committed by TNI (1) Juridical considerations, i.e : Indictment, testimony of witnesses and defendants, expert's testimony, evidence and other articles in the Child Protection Law (2) Non-Juridical Considerations are mitigating and aggravating factors. The conclusion of this research is that the Implementation of Act no. 35 of 2014 has not been fully implemented in the judicial process in Military Court II-10 Semarang, the child’s identity in the previous verdict is not disguised. Suggestion from this study is the punishment of the defendant should refer to Act no. 35 of 2014 on Child Protection and after the judicial process the parties including law enforcement should provide protection for the future of the child as a victim.
... Çocukların gelişimi açısından da hayvanlar konusunda sosyal duyarlılık geliştirmek önemli görülmektedir. Özellikle erken çocuklukta hayvanlara kötü muamelede bulunma, ilerleyen yıllarda kişiler arası şiddet ve toplumsal uyum sorunlarının habercisidir (Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2019). Ascione (1993) hayvanlara yönelik kötü muameleyi, "kasıtlı olarak bir hayvanın gereksiz ağrı, acı çekmesine, strese girmesine ve/veya ölmesine sebep olan toplumca kabul edilemez davranış" olarak tanımlamaktadır (s.228). ...
Hayvanlara yönelik kötü muamele sıklıkla gündeme gelen önemli sorunlardan biridir. Bu konuda caydırıcı ve önleyici düzenlemelere gidilmesi önemli olmakla birlikte alınacak tedbirlerin başında erken yıllardan itibaren eğitim gelmektedir. Türkiye"de çocukların sokak hayvanları ile karşılaşmaları çevre eğitiminin bir parçası olan hayvanlar konusunda eğitim için bir fırsat olarak değerlendirilebilir. Bu bağlamda, çocuklara somut yaşantılar sunabilecek ve gündelik hayatları ile ilişkili olan sokak hayvanları konusunda çocuklarla yapılacak bir araştırma, onların sosyal duyarlılıklarını ve hayvanlara yönelik farkındalıklarını artıracaktır. Bu çalışmada proje yaklaşımına başvurularak okulöncesi dönem çocukları ile yürütülen sokak hayvanları konulu bir proje betimlenmiştir. Proje çalışması resmi bir ilkokulun anasınıfında, haftada bir gün toplam 11 hafta sürmüştür. Çalışmaya bir öğretim üyesi rehberliğinde iki öğretmen adayı ve anasınıfına devam eden 14 çocuk katılmıştır. Sınıf öğretmeninin de destek verdiği proje çalışması boyunca öğretmenler öğrenme sürecini, fotoğraf çekimi ve yazılı notlar alarak gözlemiş ve belgelemişlerdir. Çocukların temsil ürünleri de değerlendirmede kullanılmıştır. Öğrenme sürecinde yapılan gözlemler ve belgelemeye dayalı olarak çocukların gelişimlerinin proje çalışmalarında çok yönlü olarak desteklendiği ve sokak hayvanlarına yönelik farkındalıklarının ve sosyal duyarlıklarının geliştirildiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Anahtar kelimeler: Çevre eğitimi, okulöncesi eğitim, proje yaklaşımı, sokak hayvanları, sosyal farkındalık.
Abstract: Maltreatment towards animals is one of the major problems that often arise. Although it is important to enact prohibitive and preventive measures on this issue, education from the early years is one of the main measures to increase social sensitivity. The fact that children encounter with stray animals in Turkey can be used as an opportunity for education about animals, which is integral to environmental education. In this sense, inquiring about stray animals with children can increase their social sensitivity and awareness because this topic provides children with concrete experiences and it is closely related to their daily life. In this study, a project on stray animals was described conducted with preschool children using the project approach. The study took place in a kindergarten classroom of an elementary school for 11 weeks, once a week. Participants of the study included 14 preschool children and two teacher candidates under the guidance of an academic advisor. The classroom teacher also supported teacher candidates during the project work and the candidates observed and documented the learning process using photos, notes, and children"s representational artifacts. Based on the observations during the learning process and the documentation, it has been concluded that preschool children"s social sensitivity and awareness towards stray animals were developed and their development was supported in multiple ways with the project work.
... Research on the consequences of exposure to AC among IPV survivors and children is scarce. However, recent studies suggest that exposure to AC in childhood is associated with increased risk of psychopathology (McDonald et al., 2017), behavioral problems such as delinquency and violence (Longobardi & Badenes-Ribera, 2018), and childhood cruelty to animals ; most of the research in this area has focused on externalizing outcomes and failed to attend to internalizing behavior and posttraumatic stress symptoms. However, adults who witness AC in their childhood report 'still being bothered' by such acts in adulthood (Flynn, 2000;Henry, 2004). ...
Background: It is estimated that more than half of children living in households where intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs are also exposed to animal cruelty (AC). Although prior research links bonds with pets with higher levels of socioemotional competence among school-age children, exposure to AC may negate the protective effects of pet ownership and/or exacerbate the potentially deleterious effect of IPV on children’s mental health.
Objective: The current study evaluates whether and to what extent the associations between exposure to IPV and several indicators of children’s mental health vary as a function of children’s positive engagement with pets and exposure to AC.
Participants and Setting: Participants included 204 children (aged 7–12 years; 47% female; 57% Latinx) and their maternal caregiver who were recruited from domestic violence agencies in a western U.S. state.
Method: Multiple moderation analysis evaluated whether the association between children’s exposure to IPV and internalizing and posttraumatic stress symptoms vary as a function of children’s positive engagement with pets and exposure to AC.
Results: Analyses revealed several moderation effects for positive engagement with pets (e.g., internalizing problems: [b = −.15, t(195) = −2.66, p = .008]; posttraumatic stress symptoms: [b = −.13, t(195) = −2.24, p = .026]), whereas exposure to AC only moderated the association between IPV and anxious/depressed symptoms (b = .32, t(195) = −2.41, p = .017).
Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential protective effects of positive engagement with pets and importance of screening for exposure to AC when engaging in trauma-informed work with children exposed to IPV.
Introducción: El tormento físico y emocional hacia los animales durante la infancia y la adultez emergente ha sido relacionado con el diagnóstico de diversos trastornos de la conducta. El objetivo de este estudio fue adaptar y validar la Escala de tormento físico y emocional hacia animales (PET) en una muestra de universitarios del Caribe colombiano. Materiales y método: Estudio cuantitativo de carácter instrumental, con enfoque transver sal. Se evaluaron exploratoriamente tres modelos en 100 universitarios y se confirmaron dos soluciones del instrumento en 140 universitarios. Resultados: En el análisis factorial exploratorio (AFE), dos modelos cumplieron con la asignación de factores; el primero produjo una estructura factorial bidimensional que explicó el 68.39% de la varianza de los datos, con esfericidad de Bartlett significativa (331,099, gl=36, Sig.=.002), indicador de adecuación del tamaño de muestra Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin aceptable (KMO=.73) y consistencia interna total y dimensional adecuada ( ɑ ordinal total = .825; ɑ ordina subescala 1 = .93 y ordinal subescala 2 = .75). El segundo reportó una estructura factorial unidimensional que explicó el 73.16% e indicadores de esfericidad,tamaño de muestra y consistencia adecuados (216.369, gl=6, Sig.=.000; KMO=.73 y ɑ ordinal total = .877). Las soluciones exploradas fueron confirmadas encontrando para ambos modelos indicadores de bondad del ajuste satisfactorios (modelo bidimensional: X 2 ɑ /gl=2.33; GFI=.991; AGFI=.969; CFI=.944; NFI=.970; RMSEA=.070 y SRMR=.070. modelo unidimensional: X /gl=1.98; GFI=.998; AGFI=.987; CFI=.968; NFI=.994; RMSEA=.068 y SRMR=.040). Discusión y conclusiones: La escala PET en su versión original y reducida es un instrumento válido y confiable para evaluar este constructo en el contexto sociocultural colombiano.
In 2014, Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey approved the addition of animal cruelty to Group A of the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which is categorized into Group A and Group B offenses (Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], 2016). In 2016, participating NIBRS states began collecting animal cruelty data. The rationale for the addition of animal cruelty crimes to NIBRS was the large body of empirical evidence that demonstrates a close association between animal cruelty and other crimes, interpersonal violence in particular. This paper analyzes how states and local law enforcement agencies have responded to the addition of animal cruelty crime incidents to NIBRS, noting patterns of adoption in reporting animal cruelty crimes, gaps, and any other factor that provides clarity on the state of the implementation of animal cruelty crime statistics in NIBRS. The method of analysis was to first evaluate the animal cruelty incident rates by population groups established by the FBI and then to calculate the animal cruelty crime rate for Delaware and compare it to the U.S, as Delaware is the only state with an Office of Animal Welfare. With this analysis, we can determine which areas have sufficient data to inform law enforcement’s decisions about the allocation of resources and begin to craft prevention programs for animal cruelty and other forms of interpersonal violence.
Various studies have suggested a range of different factors associated with children’s attitudes toward animals; however, in Chile, it is an area that has not been studied. The current study administered the Intermediate Attitude Scale ( IAS , which measures attitudes toward the humane treatment of animals) to 286 children in third and fourth grade and analyzed its association with the following variables: type of school, grade, gender, current pet ownership, the recognition accuracy of dog facial expressions, and human-directed empathy. The association between the IAS and potential factors was measured through linear mixed models. Children with higher human-directed empathy scores, fourth-grade children, and children who were more accurate in recognizing the happiness emotion on the dog’s face were associated with more positive attitudes toward the humane treatment of animals. These findings contribute to the growing literature regarding the importance of positive attitudes toward animals and their connection to human-directed empathy.
Euthanasia is a highly controversial issue in human society. In the field of veterinary medicine, there are guidelines that are intended to assist with the decision-making around euthanasia and reduce the possible ethical and moral conflicts involved with these situations. In this review, we have collected the existing information that allows veterinarians to better understand the factors surrounding the practice of euthanasia. Specific literature on topics such as the pathophysiology of pain in animals, clinical situations that could lead to a decision to euthanise an animal, possible ethical and moral conflicts, the management of emotions by animal tutors, etc. This article provides a general and practical overview of this potentially complex issue for the benefit of students, veterinarians, and the general public from both an ethical and medical point of view, and covers the fundamental concepts and notions that can facilitate decision-making concerning the euthanasia of animals. Ethical practices in veterinary medicine and the correct application of animal welfare principals are central to making such decisions responsibly.
The importance of identification and differential diagnosis of spinal injuries, in the case of polytrauma, the ability to distinguish the pathogenesis of various injuries are important and relevant both during clinical and during pathological examination of the animal’s body. The purpose of research is to provide veterinary practitioners and lawyers with strategies for identifying the cause (mechanism) of spinal cord injury and to assist triers of fact (decision-makers) in arriving at plausible and reasoned veterinary forensic conclusions. The research was performed using pathological and anatomical dissection and histological studies. It was established that damage to the cervical spinal cord due to traumatic bending of the neck was accompanied by partial or complete rupture of the intervertebral disc and destruction of the ligaments of the vertebrae. It was found that the hyperemia of the vessels of the meninges of the brain is the result of blood circulation disorders in the occipital artery and the caudal artery of the meninges, and mechanical damage to the integrity of the intervertebral discs or the destruction of the ligaments of the neck vertebrae led to various disorders of the innervation of various organs and systems of the body and ended the death of animals. It was proved that the distraction injury of the cervical spine led to the swelling of the medulla of the brain, haemorrhages of the caudalventral part of the brain substance. It was found that irritation of nervus vagus led to hyperemia of vessels of large (aorta and trunk of pulmonary artery) caliber, cranial mesenteric artery) caudal mesenteric artery and, accordingly, hyperemia of thoracic and abdominal organs. Application of research results will help in differentiation of various types of mechanical injuries of the spine (including differentiation from other pathological conditions of the body), determination of the area of the applied force vector
Background: Childhood interspecific relationships can be viewed as a mirror of the person’s capacity to interact with other living beings. The interspecific relationship can involve different attachment styles, affect regulation skills, transitional object dynamics, and self-awareness and mentalization processes. Yet interspecific relationships can also be disrupted, since they can be associated with cruel behavior toward animals, which is in turn related to possible psychopathology.
Method: We provided a conceptual framework based on the literature addressing the interspecific relationship in both its adaptive and positive features as well as in its disrupted aspects.
Discussion: Pets have often been regarded as attachment figures that can aid children in socialization and growth processes. They have been deemed to represent “social catalysts” that tend to facilitate human relationships, thus increasing prosocial behaviors. On the dark side of the pet-child interaction, childhood abuse of animals tends to be associated with behavioral and emotional problems that have been thought of as underlying psychopathology (e.g., conduct disorder and antisocial personality traits). Childhood cruelty to animals seems to accompany emotion dysregulation, poor social information processing, and low empathy.
Conclusions: Since the child-pet relationship has substantial implications for the individual’s mental health and for the potential development of psychopathology, addressing children’s attitudes toward animals can aid in understanding the affective and emotional dimensions of their interpersonal experience.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the presence of a pet at home influences children’s attachment to their parents and psychological adjustment. A convenience sample of 276 participants (48.9% of whom owned of a dog or dogs; 138 children with a mean age of 8.79 years and 138 parents with a mean age of 40.37 years) was used. Two multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs), controlling for parent’s age, were performed to analyze the data. The MANCOVA results show lower levels of attachment to the mother and father in children with pets compared to children without pets. Additionally, compared to children without pets, children with pets scored lower in emotional symptoms and conduct problems and higher in prosocial behavior. These findings suggest that the presence of a pet could correlate with less perceived security in the attachment relationship with parents, probably because pets are often adopted into families with children to compensate for loneliness or closeness. However, according to the literature, the presence of a pet in itself seems to be a protective factor for a child’s psychological development. Limitations and future research perspectives are described.
Animal welfare education aims to nurture compassion, respect and kindness to animals but there remains a need for more rigorous evaluations of such programmes to assess the most effective approaches. Incorporating technology into animal welfare education is a relatively novel field. This study examines the process of designing, developing, and evaluating the effectiveness of a new theoretically-driven educational computer game intervention. Pet Welfare was designed for children aged 7-12 years, to promote positive child-animal interactions. A pre-test, post-test, test-control, quasi-experimental design was used using a self-report questionnaire that children completed within class. Participants included 184 primary-school children from schools in Scotland, UK. The results indicated a positive impact on knowledge about animal welfare needs, knowledge about appropriate and safe behaviour towards pets and beliefs about pet minds. Children were also less accepting of cruelty to pets. There was no impact on self-reported compassion. This study presents the first evaluation of a digital animal welfare ‘serious game’ for children, demonstrating the benefits of incorporating technology and game-based learning into animal cruelty prevention. The results of this study will inform future education directions for those wishing to promote positive and safe relationships between children and animals.
Despite growing awareness of the psychological issues associated with childhood animal cruelty, there is a scarcity of research carried out directly with children. This study investigates the psychological factors influencing the likelihood of a child harming animals, specifically the roles of attachment, empathy, executive functioning, issues related to externalizing behavior, and Callous Unemotional (CU) traits. The sample comprised children at high risk of animal harm referred to the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s Animal Guardians program (n = 9) and low-risk controls (n = 18) matched for age and school class. A range of assessment techniques was used over three interview sessions for each child. Externalizing problems were measured using teacher reports; attachment was blind-coded using the Child Attachment Play Assessment; executive functioning was assessed using a Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS); and empathy was measured using self-report and picture-based tasks, the Kids Empathy Development Scale. Children at high risk of animal harm were more likely to be insecurely attached (p = 0.002), scored significantly higher on Strengths and Difficulties (U = 1.5, p < 0.001) and CU traits (U = 6.4, p = 0.001) as rated by their teachers, scored lower on cognitive empathy (U = 36.5, p = 0.043), and performed more poorly on the DCCS test of executive functioning (U = 31.0, p = 0.014). No significant differences were found between high-risk and low-risk children on self-reported empathy or emotion recognition. We also found that insecure attachment was related to an increased score for many psychological risk factors. This exploratory study demonstrates that childhood animal harm can act as an indicator of a range of psychological issues and highlights the importance of designing appropriate interventions for this vulnerable population.
Considerable growth has occurred in research on various aspects of human-animal interaction in recent years. This chapter provides an integrated overview of the current state of empirical research in each of the four core domains of veterinary social work: animal-assisted interventions, animal-related grief and bereavement, compassion fatigue and management, and links between animal and human maltreatment. We discuss strengths and limitations of available knowledge alongside opportunities for future research and, where applicable, data-driven implications for programs and policy.KeywordsAnimal crueltyAnimal-related grief and bereavementAutismCompassion fatigueFamily violenceOlder adultsResilienceTrauma
In recent years school bullying and other forms of aggressive behaviors in children and adolescents have become an issue of great concern among parents, psychologists, and educators. This study examined the relationship between school bullying and animal abuse in a community sample of school-age children. One hundred and seventy-four elementary school students from central Greece participated in the study and filled in self-report questionnaires which examined animal abuse, bullying – victimization, empathy, self-control, and peer interactions. Results showed that bullying behavior and peer victimization are associated with both direct abuse of animals and witnessing violence against animals. Multiple regression analysis indicated that witnessing animal abuse and being victimized by peers are positive predictors of bullying. Empathy, self-control, and peer interactions failed to predict school bullying. We discuss theoretical mechanisms linking bullying/victimization and animal abuse as well as directions for future research.
This study sought to determine whether peer delinquency, cognitive insensitivity, and/or their interaction mediated the transition from bullying perpetration to delinquency. Data from 845 early adolescent youth (406 boys, 439 girls) organized into three waves were subjected to path analysis, with peer delinquency and cognitive insensitivity as parallel mediators. Results revealed that cognitive insensitivity successfully mediated the relationship between Wave 1 bullying perpetration and Wave 3 participant delinquency, whereas peer delinquency and the peer × insensitivity interaction did not. It would seem that involvement in bullying behavior may lead to a rise in antisocial thinking of the neutralization/moral disengagement type and that this thinking, referred to in this study as cognitive insensitivity, may then stimulate future involvement in delinquent behavior.
Animal cruelty has received growing scholarly attention over the past few decades. One ongoing challenge for researchers has been the lack of readily accessible data. This situation changed in 2014 with the addition of animal cruelty offenses to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program as part of its National Incident-Based Reporting System. In addition to providing a much-needed source of animal cruelty information, these data shed light on two distinct forms of cruelty: intentional animal abuse and neglect. Previous research tended to group both forms of cruelty together, which limited the ability of these findings to inform the development of targeted prevention and intervention policies. The present study is one of the first to examine the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s animal cruelty data and to distinguish between neglect and intentional cruelty. The findings obtained are discussed in terms of application to policy and guidance for future work.
At present, UK schools are not required to teach children about animal welfare. This undoubtedly contributes to widespread deficien- cies in knowledge, and misconceptions about animals needs, likes, and dislikes. Aware of the issues at hand, animal welfare organi- sations create their own materials for teachers to use, and/or deliver educational programmes directly to children and young people. As the design, content, processes and outcomes associated with these interventions are rarely documented publicly or systematically evaluated, there is little evidence to guide the development of animal welfare education. A three-stage online Delphi study was used to identify who current interventions target, what delivery methods are being used, and how expert practitioners describe priorities and challenges in the field. Thirty-one experts participated in Round 1, with 84% of the sample (n = 26) also taking part in Round2. Qualitative analysis revealed passionate accounts about the far-reaching potential of educating children about animals. However, we also identified ambiguities and tensions that could thwart the future development of effective animal welfare education. Alongside the production of a web-based framework and evidence-based toolkit to support practitioners, findings will be used to encourage animal welfare professionals to work towards producing shared terminology, definitions, and outcomes frameworks; focusing on positive education and the idea of harm as opposed to cruelty. This should facilitate collaboration with schoolteachers and education policy-makers to assess the ways in which animal welfare might be successfully incorporated within formal education in the future. These data suggest many potential avenues for inclusion, although a holistic approach emphasising the links between humans, animals and the environment, within the context of young peoples recent activism and contemporary health, societal and environmental issues, may be most successful.
Many animal welfare organisations deliver education programmes for children and young people, or design materials for schoolteachers to use. However, few of these are scientifically evaluated, making it difficult for those working in this field to establish with any certainty the degree of success of their own programmes, or learn from others. There has been no guidance specifically tailored to the development and evaluation of animal welfare education interventions. Accordingly, a three-stage online Delphi study was designed to unearth the expertise of professionals working in this field and identify degree of consensus on various aspects of the intervention process: design, implementation and evaluation. Thirty-one experts participated in Round 1, representing eleven of 13 organisations in the Scottish Animal Welfare Education Forum (SAWEF), and eleven of 23 members of the wider UK-based Animal Welfare Education Alliance (AWEA). Seven further professionals participated, including four based in Canada or the US. Eighty-four percent of the original sample participated in Round 2, where a high level of consensus was apparent. However, the study also revealed areas of ambiguity (determining priorities, the need for intervention structure and degree of success). Tensions were also evident with respect to terminology (especially around cruelty and cruelty prevention), and the common goal for animal welfare to be part of school curricula. Findings were used to develop a web-based framework and toolkit to enable practitioners to follow evidence-based guidance. This should enable organisations to maximise the quality and effectiveness of their interventions for children and young people.
In a previous study, reactive criminal thinking or cognitive impulsivity mediated the relationship between parental knowledge and delinquency. This study sought to determine whether cognitive impulsivity also mediated the relationship between parental knowledge and childhood aggression. A path analysis was performed on a sample of 438 early adolescent boys ( n = 206) and girls ( n = 232) from the Illinois Study of Bullying and Sexual Violence using three waves of non-overlapping data. As predicted, cognitive impulsivity mediated the relationship between parental knowledge and childhood aggression, but cognitive insensitivity did not. The results of this study provide ongoing support for the general conceptual argument that childhood aggression parallels delinquency in certain respects and that parental knowledge deters both future delinquency and childhood aggression by reducing the cognitive impulsivity that is central to the behavioral patterns of delinquency and childhood aggression.
Childhood animal cruelty (CAC) is a risk for later interpersonal violence and a red flag for other forms of violence in the household, yet very few studies have spoken to children directly about their cruelty to animals. Animal Guardians (AG) is a humane education program run by the Scottish SPCA for children of age 5 to 12 years who have been cruel to animals or deemed at-risk. This research investigated how children referred to AG spoke about their experiences of animal cruelty and factors surrounding it. Research consent was obtained for 10 children (average age = 8.8 years, n = 9 males), referred concerning cruel/at-risk behavior toward their pets. The interview schedule combined techniques such as crafts, vignettes, open questions, and standardized measures. Interviews were qualitatively analyzed using content analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Content analysis suggested that referred children (a) tended to have small attachment networks which often included pets, (b) tended to interpret ambiguous situations predominately negatively, (c) tended to like animals and see them as sentient, and (d) struggled admitting to cruelty. Three main superordinate themes emerged from the IPA: (a) Bonding to animals, (b) Exposure to/normalization of violence, and (c) Signs of emotional issues/trauma. Children who were referred for animal cruelty toward their pets were from vulnerable backgrounds, often had complex backdrops to their at-risk or cruel behavior, and sometimes had trouble regulating their emotions and behaviors. Programs hoping to address CAC should be aware of these complex emotional, psychological, and behavioral factors, tailoring interventions accordingly.
Veterinarians have a fundamental role to play in the detection of animal abuse and domestic violence cases. Therefore, it is essential that veterinary colleges provide appropriate training in animal welfare and veterinary forensics. The aim of this article is to characterize the perception and knowledge of veterinary students about training in veterinary forensics, animal welfare and the association between animal abuse and human violence. An online survey was made available to veterinary students at 227 veterinary colleges in Brazil and 22 in Colombia. The Chi-Square test of independence was performed to compare responses of Brazilian and Colombian students for categorical survey items. Most of the surveyed students indicated that their college offered animal welfare training. However, only 21.8% (n = 47/216) of the Colombian and 43.1% (n = 216/523) of the Brazilian students mentioned that their veterinary colleges offered veterinary forensics training. Deficits in training in identification of non-accidental traumas, reporting of animal abuse and awareness of the association between interpersonal violence and animal abuse were identified in both countries. Despite this, more than 90% of students were aware of the relationship between these two crimes and in the importance of receiving compulsory training in animal abuse and veterinary forensics. Likewise, most of the respondents recognized that animal abuse includes both physical and mental abuse. The results highlight the need to improve education in animal welfare, animal abuse, human violence and veterinary forensics in veterinary colleges in Brazil and Colombia.
This study sought to understand the prevalence of childhood abuse in Italy using an instrument developed by the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) and adapted to the Italian context. The study participants were 312 young adults, 106 males (34%), and 206 females (64%), aged 18–24 years, from various northwest Italian universities and workplaces, using an ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool retrospective questionnaire (ICAST-R). With reference to comparative data from other countries, the Italian context reveals a high incidence of emotional abuse (62%) followed by physical abuse (44%) and sexual abuse (18%). While males reported more physical abuse, females reported more exposure to sexual and emotional abuse. Moreover, the validity of the ICAST instrument was evaluated. The internal consistency for the three subscales was similar to the findings of previous studies, with Cronbach’s alphas ranging from 0.51 for emotional abuse to 0.59 for sexual abuse. We observe that children undergo forms of emotional and physical maltreatment for disciplinary purposes, and for this reason, such abuse is excused. Greater prevention measures should be adopted in this direction. Finally, our study has contributed to the validation of the ICAST-R instrument for use in the Italian context.
Student–teacher relationships have been shown to influence bullying-related behaviors in students.
This study considered the moderating role of students' social statuses in the classroom. The
study sample included 435 students (48.7% females) taken from 18 Italian middle-school
classrooms (i.e., sixth to eighth grade). A multigroup path analysis approach was employed to
examine whether the effects of the student-teacher relationships on bullying-related behaviors
differed among social statuses. The results showed that perceived conflict with the teacher was
shown to have a significant positive effect on students' engagement in active bullying for students
from all the statuses, except for neglected students. In particular, this effect was more relevant for
rejected students. The results showed that social status and student-teacher relationships integrate
and shed light on which roles are taken by young adolescents in school bullying, highlighting
that it is important for the teachers to recognize these students.
The role of the veterinary forensic pathologist in the investigation of animal abuse or neglect can go beyond documenting the condition of animals presented as evidence. Although animal cruelty is a moral concern and a crime in itself, law enforcement response to such crimes is often enhanced by the recognition that crimes against animals can be both indicators of other ongoing crimes against people and predictors of the potential for interpersonal violence. An understanding of common motives underlying animal cruelty can aid the pathologist in asking appropriate questions. The authors review the forms of pathology evidence commonly seen in various presentations of animal cruelty. Understanding these forms of evidence can help the pathologist describe findings that can be significant for assessing the potential risks the alleged perpetrator may pose to other animals and humans.
The aim of this article was to estimate the prevalence of psychological maltreatment in Italian middle school students by their teachers, and to test the applicability of surveying instruments for this phenomenon in Italian educational settings. The sample consisted of 105 teachers and 128 middle school students, who were asked about their experiences with emotionally abusive behaviors (i.e., demeaning, discriminating, dominating, destabilizing, distancing, and diverse) in the Italian school system. Teachers did not tend to perceive their behavior as abusive, while the students showed a very high perception of abuse (98%). Males were more likely to be victims of abuse, and they also reported lower scores in the Achievement scale. Emotional child abuse is highly present in Italian educational settings, and there is a strong need for interventions aimed at supporting teacher education, in the hopes of increasing the general well-being in schools.
Although animal cruelty is often described as a warning sign of future human
violence, particularly in the prediction of multiple homicides, prior studies reveal
mixed support for this notion and lack conceptual clarity in the measurement of such
cruelty. This study investigates the quantity and quality of cruelty present in a sample
of 23 perpetrators of school massacres from 1988 to 2012. Findings indicate that 43%
of the perpetrators commit animal cruelty before schoolyard massacres and that the
cruelty is usually directed against anthropomorphized species (dogs and cats) in an
up-close manner. The implications of these findings for reducing false positive cases
of cruelty are discussed.
The two dominant theories relating to animal cruelty are critically reviewed. These are (1) the violence graduation hypothesis and (2) the deviance generalization hypothesis. The outcomes indicate very high consistency with the broader antisocial behavior and aggression literature, which is large and very robust. This strongly supports the validity of the animal cruelty theory proposals. Proposals that animal cruelty is one of the earliest indicators of externalizing disorders and that it is a marker of development along a more severe trajectory of antisocial and aggressive behaviors are supported. The implications of these conclusions are discussed.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether childhood animal cruelty is primarily a feature of family context or of externalizing behavior. Twenty measures of family context and proactive (fearlessness) and reactive (disinhibition) externalizing behavior were correlated with the retrospective accounts of childhood animal cruelty provided by 1,354 adjudicated delinquents. A cross-sectional analysis revealed that all 20 family context, proactive externalizing, and reactive externalizing variables correlated significantly with animal cruelty. Prospective analyses showed that when the animal cruelty variable was included in a regression equation with the 10 family context variables (parental arguing and fighting, parental drug use, parental hostility, and parental knowledge and monitoring of offspring behavior) or in a regression equation with the five reactive externalizing variables (interpersonal hostility, secondary psychopathy, weak impulse control, weak suppression of aggression, and short time horizon), it continued to predict future violent and income (property + drug) offending. The animal cruelty variable no longer predicted offending, however, when included in a regression equation with the five proactive externalizing variables (early onset behavioral problems, primary psychopathy, moral disengagement, positive outcome expectancies for crime, and lack of consideration for others). These findings suggest that while animal cruelty correlates with a wide range of family context and externalizing variables, it may serve as a marker of violent and nonviolent offending by virtue of its position on the proactive subdimension of the externalizing spectrum.
Children's abuse of animals may be predictive of aggression towards humans. This study assessed concurrent engagement in animal abuse and bullying behaviour in 241 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years. A total of 20.6% of youths reported abusing animals at least “sometimes” and 17.8% reported bullying others on at least one occasion in the past year. Multiple regression analyses revealed witnessing animal abuse to be a common predictive factor for each of animal abuse and bullying. However, family conflict was a significant predictor only for animal abuse, while victimization by peers was a significant predictor only for bullying. Although there were both common and differentiating predictive variables for each behavior, the finding that witnessing animal abuse was predictive of both is supportive of past research and warrants further research attention. The findings have significant implications for the prevention and intervention of bullying and animal abuse behaviors.
Results from this study challenge the assumption that animal abusers commonly “graduate” from violence against animals to violence against humans. The criminal records of 153 animal abusers and 153 control participants were tracked and compared. Animal abusers were more likely than control participants to be interpersonally violent, but they also were more likely to commit property offenses, drug offenses, and public disorder offenses. Thus, there was an association between animal abuse and a variety of antisocial behaviors, but not violence alone. Moreover, when the time order between official records of animal abuse and interpersonal violence was examined, animal abuse was no more likely to precede than follow violent offenses. Although these findings dispute the assumption that animal abuse inevitably leads to violence toward humans, they point to an association between animal abuse and a host of antisocial behaviors, including violence. Also discussed are the methodological problems of demonstrating sequential temporal relations between animal abuse and other antisocial behaviors.
This paper examines the relationship between childhood cruelty toward animals and aggressive behavior among criminals and noncriminals in adulthood.
Data were derived from personal interviews with 152 criminals and noncriminals in Kansas and Connecticut. A standardized, closed, and open-ended interview, requiring approximately 1-2 hours to complete, was administered to all subjects. Aggressiveness was defined by behavioral criteria rather than by reason for incarceration.
Childhood cruelty toward animals occurred to a significantly greater degree among aggressive criminals than among nonaggressive criminals or noncriminals. Additionally, the occurrence of more than 40 cases of extreme animal crielty facilitated the development of a preliminary classification of nine distinct motivations for animal cruelty. Finally, family violence, particularly paternal abuse and alcoholism, were significantly more common among aggressive criminals with a history of childhood cruelty toward animals.
The relation between childhood cruelty toward animals and interpersonal aggression has long been of interest to developmental psychology, psychiatry, and related disciplines but the empirical study of this relation is relatively recent. This review highlights existing quantitative and qualitative research on childhood animal cruelty, organized according to four areas: (1) the relation between childhood cruelty to animals and concurrent and later antisocial behavior; (2) the significance of cruelty to animals as a specific symptom in the DSM-III-R classification Conduct Disorder; (3) the implication of cruelty to animals in various forms of family and community violence, including child physical and sexual abuse and wife battering; and (4) suggestions for research in the areas of definition, prevention, and intervention.
Objective: The study assesses the correlation between self-reported delinquency on one hand, and empathy and cruelty toward animals on the other hand, taking into account personal background, personality characteristics, and social context. It is based on the first representative sample of adolescents that allows studying this issue in Europe. Method: The study uses data from the 2006 Swiss National Self-Reported Delinquency Survey. The sample contains more than 3,600 pupils in 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. Results: The lifetime prevalence of animal cruelty in Swiss teenagers is 12%. Asked how they feel about people hurting animals, 2.4% answered animals deserve it or it is fun. Animal cruelty is correlated to various forms of offending. Youth who admit having maltreated animals have a higher likelihood of committing vandalism and serious violent acts. The correlation is weaker for minor violence and nonviolent offenses, such as serious property offenses and shoplifting. Conclusion: Animal cruelty goes along with higher risks of committing various types of offenses, but the odds are highest for offenses having a component of anger. Professionals should be aware that animal maltreatment is a sign of serious maladjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Animal abuse and family violence appear to be “linked” and tend to co-occur in the same households. Companion animals are
often regarded as family members, if not by the abuser, then by others within the family. Consequently, in families where
any given form of violence exists, animal abuse is also more likely to exist. This paper examines animal abuse in the context
of abusive home environments, and the relationship between an abusive home in childhood and the range of behavioral problems
that may extend into adulthood. Existing investigations are reviewed with reference to prevalence, epidemiology, and child
development theory. It appears that holistic interventions to counter abusive home environments may represent the most effective
way to break the association between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence, by addressing the shared situational characteristics
common to a range of violent behaviors.
Few researchers have studied the predictive ability of childhood animal cruelty motives as they are associated with later recurrent violence toward humans. Based on a sample of 180 inmates at one medium- and one maximum-security prison in a Southern state, the present study examines the relationship among several retrospectively identified motives (fun, out of anger, hate for the animal, and imitation) for childhood animal cruelty and the later commission of violent crimes (murder, rape, assault, and robbery) against humans. Almost two thirds of the inmates reported engaging in childhood animal cruelty for fun, whereas almost one fourth reported being motivated either out of anger or imitation. Only one fifth of the respondents reported they had committed acts of animal cruelty because they hated the animal. Regression analyses revealed that recurrent animal cruelty was the only statistically significant variable in the model. Respondents who had committed recurrent childhood animal cruelty were more likely to have had committed recurrent adult violence toward humans. None of the motives for committing childhood animal cruelty had any effect on later violence against humans.
The existing literature on the relationship between childhood cruelty to animals and later violence against people appears to be inconsistent. The authors review the controlled studies that did not support this relationship and those that did and identify several methodological factors that may have contributed to the contradictory findings. Studies using direct interviews to examine subjects with multiple acts of violence point to an association between a pattern of childhood animal cruelty and later serious, recurrent aggression against people. Identification of such a relationship could improve understanding of impulsive violence and facilitate early intervention and prevention.
In Italy numerous studies have been carried out regarding the phenomenon of bullying, however studies on single incidences of sexual, physical, and psychological victimization at school remain scant. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the phenomenon of scholastic violence with a broader perspective, taking into consideration single episodes of violent behavior, not only repetitive incidents as in the case of bullying, as well as all the possible perpetrators including adults.
The sample consisted of 277 adolescents (64% female), ranging from grade 6th to 13th (mean age = 13.29, SD = 2.19). Sixty-four percent of the participants were middle school students, the remaining were high school students. We used the ICAST-CI to investigate the aspects that are linked to school victimization.
Results show that the most commonly reported type of victimization is psychological violence (incidence = 77%), followed by physical (incidence = 52%), and sexual victimization (incidence = 24%). These forms of violence are mainly inflicted by peers. The research confirmed the validity of the tool and its applicability in the Italian context for screening violent behavior at school.
School victimization includes every form of violent offense, including physical or psychological brutality, abandonment or exploitation, and sexual abuse experienced by students. Being tied to a specific cultural context, school victimization can present differences in terms of frequency and risk factors in various countries. The aim of this study is to describe this phenomenon, its incidence and prevalence, and the risk factors associated with it (i.e., gender and age) in Italy and Albania; two European nations geographically close but with significant differences in historical, cultural, and legislative traditions. A total of 596 participants - schoolchildren from grades 6–13, of whom 261 were Italian and 335 were Albanian – anonymously filled out the ICAST-CI questionnaire. The results show that school victimization affects both countries. Both in Italy and Albania, physical, and psychological abuse are the most common forms of victimization, while sexual abuse is the least frequent. Furthermore, in terms of demographics, the victims' peers are the most-frequent perpetrators in every category of victimization. However, Albania presents significantly higher levels of physical victimization than Italy and a higher percentage of adult offenders. Gender and age are significant risk factors of school victimization, albeit with some differences concerning the types of abuse in both nations.
In the early 1960s, researchers began to examine the potential link between childhood animal cruelty and future interpersonal violence. Findings since then have been inconsistent in establishing a relationship between the two. This may be due to researchers failing to measure the recurrency of childhood animal abuse and the recurrency of later violent acts committed in adulthood. The current study, using data from 257 inmates at a medium-security prison in a Southern state, is a replication of research conducted by Tallichet and Hensley, and Hensley, Tallichet, and Dutkiewicz, which examined this recurrency issue. The only statistically significant predictor of recurrent adult interpersonal violence in this study was recurrent childhood animal cruelty. Inmates who engaged in recurrent childhood animal cruelty were more likely to commit recurrent adult interpersonal violence. Respondents' race, education, and childhood residence were not significant predictors of the outcome variable.
Those who commit acts of animal cruelty may do so differently based upon how they individually experience such acts. These experiences may impact the link that exists between childhood animal abuse and later interpersonal violence. Limited research exists that examines how social and emotional factors such as being upset after committing animal cruelty may impact the progression from early acts of animal cruelty to later acts of adult violence against humans. Based on responses from 180 prison inmates in a Southern state, the current study examined the effects of onset and frequency of animal cruelty, covertness of animal cruelty, the commission of animal cruelty alone or in a group, and being upset after committing animal cruelty. Inmates who committed recurrent acts of childhood animal cruelty were more likely to commit recurrent acts of adult interpersonal violence.
Abuse and neglect of nonhuman companion animals (i.e., pets) are not well understood as crime phenomena even though the keeping of animals as companions is relatively commonplace, reports of abuse and neglect are not at all rare, and the media generally serves to reinforce this notion that cruelty is a frequently occurring and widespread problem. This study is a typological content analysis of situational factors in 179 cases of companion animal cruelty featured in news media reported in the United States during the first six months of 2013.
Several studies have reported a connection between animal abuse and interpersonal violence. The importance of veterinarians in recognizing and intervening in the cycle of violence has been debated in different articles. This review outlines the findings about this connection around the world and describes the role veterinarians play in this field. We looked up electronic databases and analyzed articles published between 1960 and 2016. Publications were classified into three categories: area of publication, topic of the study and continent where the study had been conducted. Out of the 96 articles included, 76 (79.2%) were from North America. None were from South America or Africa. Ninety-four articles (97.9%) found some association between animal abuse and violence against people. The rates of co-occurrence between domestic violence and animal abuse reported varied between 25% and 86%. Furthermore, children who were abused, exposed to domestic violence, or animal abuse were at risk of developing criminal behavior. Veterinarians play an important role in public health and animal welfare. Yet, only seven articles (7.3%) were published in the field of veterinary medicine. Studies report that between 42.8% and 86% of veterinarians know about the “Link”. However, most veterinarians not being trained to intervene in cases of animal abuse and human violence. This emphasizes the importance of educating veterinarians about this topic and their participation in this area.
Homicidal ideation is a clinical construct that is almost entirely absent from the criminological literature. The current study examines the criminology of homicidal ideation using archival data from a population of federal supervised release felons from the Midwestern United States. ANOVA, Poisson regression, negative binomial regression, and epidemiological tables indicated that 12 % of offenders experienced evidence of homicidal ideation and these offenders perpetrated more murders, attempted murders, kidnappings, armed robberies, and aggravated assaults, had more severe and extensive psychopathology, and were more likely to be chronic offenders. Homicidal ideation is an important construct that should be studied more not only for its association with murder, but as an omnibus risk factor for severe criminality.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether animal cruelty and firesetting can serve as markers of fearlessness and disinhibition, respectively. File data gathered on 496 male sex offenders were analyzed in an effort to test two hypotheses, a countervailing hypothesis and a narrowness hypothesis. Results pertaining to the countervailing hypothesis revealed that animal cruelty correlated significantly better with fearlessness than with disinhibition and firesetting correlated significantly better with disinhibition than with fearlessness. A multiple regression analysis controlling for age at time of discharge, participant race, and offender category (pure rapist and pure child molester) also confirmed this hypothesis. Corroborating the narrowness hypothesis, animal cruelty and firesetting failed to predict violent offending after controlling for fearlessness and disinhibition, respectively. These results suggest that animal cruelty may serve as a marker for fearlessness and callous–unemotional traits, whereas firesetting may serve as a marker for disinhibition and low self-control.
Animal cruelty is a known behavior of psychopaths, and although the serial killing of humans is widely acknowledged worldwide, this type of crime against animals is seldom discussed. This report describes the necropsy and toxicological findings of 37 dogs and cats, which were found dead in plastic bags in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The animals had all been in the care of an alleged animal rescuer and were to be referred for adoption before being found dead. In the necropsy, the animals showed varying degrees of putrefaction, indicating different periods of death, as well as single or multiple perforations on the thorax. The perforations reached the heart, lungs or large thoracic vessels, culminating in hemopericardium and hemothorax that led to death by circulatory failure and cardiac tamponade. Blood from the heart and thoracic cavity was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and tested positive for ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic. The suspect declared that she had killed only five of the animals and that they had all been fatally sick. The necropsy proved that all 37 animals were killed in the same way, that none of the animals had any terminal diseases and that a restricted drug was used. The suspect was sentenced to 12 years, 6 months and 14 days of prison for the killing of the 37 animals. This was the first conviction for the crime of animal cruelty in Brazil. The combined role of police, forensic veterinary pathologists and prosecutors were essential to the conviction, which was a great historical occasion in the fight against animal cruelty. (Free access to the full article is available until Dec 1st from the following link: http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Tspi1MCG0AXaj)
Existing research suggests that various forms of family violence such as domestic violence and child abuse tend to coexist or cluster. Although the link between animal cruelty and domestic violence is well publicized, little research has examined various forms of animal abuse and possible links between corresponding forms of interpersonal offenses. The present study examined a subsample obtained from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. (BAU) III - Crimes Against Children, which included the criminal histories of 150 adult males arrested for animal cruelty, neglect or sexual abuse in the U.S. between 2004 and 2009. The sample was described in terms of demographic and criminal characteristics. Results indicated that 41% of the offenders in the sample were arrested for interpersonal violence at least once, 18% were arrested for a sex offense such as rape or child molestation, and 28% were arrested for another interpersonal crime such as violating a restraining order or harassment. Significant relationships were discovered between Active animal cruelty (such as beating or stabbing) and both interpersonal violence and substance abuse as well as between sexually abusing animals and sexual offending against humans. These results point to the need for increased collaboration between animal welfare agencies and the social service and legal entities responsible for protecting domestic violence victims, children, elders, and others at risk groups.
This engaging book presents a contextual psychological interpretation of crime. It covers essential topics including psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder, and criminal lifestyle. The author’s compelling analysis explains criminal behavior, by showing how the criminal lifestyle is capable of integrating two seemingly incompatible crime paradigms: the career criminal paradigm and the criminal career paradigm. Starting with a context for criminality, and then moving from particular conceptions of crime to more evidence-based theories, this volume challenges students to think in a different way about crime and criminal behavior.
The violence graduation hypothesis assumes a direct causal link between animal cruelty and interpersonal aggression. This hypothesis is based on two postulates: (1) that animal cruelty precedes interpersonal aggression, and (2) that the effect is specific to violent forms of antisocial behavior. The current study was designed to test the second of these two postulates: i.e., specificity. Comparing reports of prior animal cruelty in violent and non-violent prisoners and patients, a 14-study meta-analysis revealed that the violent group was significantly more likely to have a history of animal cruelty than the non-violent group. Although this seemed to support the violence graduation hypothesis, uncontrolled differences between the violent and non-violent groups provide an alternative explanation of these results. In a second meta-analysis using a different set of studies (k = 5), animal cruelty was found to correlate as well with non-violent offending as it did with violent offending in male and mixed gender samples. These latter results suggest that at least in males, the animal cruelty–offending relationship is not specific to violence and that theories other than the violence graduation hypothesis may be required to explain the modest association that exists between animal cruelty and violent offending.
The relationship between childhood cruelty toward animals and subsequent aggressive offending was explored in 1,336 (1,154 male, 182 female) participants from the 11-wave Pathways to Desistance study (Mulvey, 2013). Aggressive and income offending at Waves 1 through 10 were regressed onto a dichotomous measure of prior involvement in animal cruelty and four control variables (age, race, sex, early onset behavior problems) assessed at Wave 0 (baseline). Results indicated that childhood animal cruelty was equally predictive of aggressive and non-aggressive (income) offending, a finding inconsistent with the hypothesis that cruelty toward animals desensitizes a person to future interpersonal aggression or in some way prepares the individual for interpersonal violence toward humans. Whereas a significant sex by animal cruelty interaction was predicted, there was no evidence that sex or any of the other demographic variables included in this study (age, race) consistently moderated the animal cruelty-subsequent offending relationship. On the other hand, two cognitive-personality measures (interpersonal hostility, callousness/unemotionality) were found to successfully mediate the animal cruelty-subsequent offending relationship. Outcomes from this study imply that a causal nexus-partially or fully mediated by hostility, callousness/unemotionality, and other cognitive-personality variables-may exist between childhood animal cruelty and subsequent offending, although the effect is not specific to violence. Aggr. Behav. 9999:XX-XX, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
This retrospective study compared frequencies of aggressive behaviors and abuse histories noted during a psychiatric intake assessment for children where animal cruelty was endorsed and a control sample of youth for whom animal cruelty was not endorsed to determine if rates of concerning behaviors differed significantly. Relative to the control group, the cruelty group was significantly more likely to have had problems with peers, perpetrated bullying, experienced sexual abuse, and have a history of sexually acting out. Recommendations for childhood animal cruelty screening in mental health settings are discussed.
Studies demonstrating the potential link between childhood and adolescent acts of animal cruelty and later interpersonal violence toward humans remain ambiguous. Unfortunately, most of the research examining this possible link has failed to investigate repeated acts of animal cruelty or recurrent acts of violence toward humans. Using a sample of 261 inmates surveyed at medium and maximum security prisons in a southem state, this article examines how demographic attributes, childhood and adolescent characteristics, and repeated acts of cruelty toward animals impacted recurrent acts of interpersonal violence during adulthood. Respondents who had more siblings and who had committed repeated acts of animal cruelty were more likely to have engaged in recurrent acts of interpersonal violence, showing a possible link between recurrent acts of childhood and adolescent animal cruelty and subsequent violent crime.
Recent studies have begun to establish an association between childhood acts of animal cruelty and later violence against humans. Even so, research has failed to establish a strong correlation between the two, perhaps because previous studies have failed to examine the commission of violence against animals and humans in terms of their frequencies. In a replication of Tallichet and Hensley (2004) and based on survey data from 180 inmates at a medium- and maximum-security prison in a Southern state, the present study examines the relationship between the demographic characteristics of race, level of education, the residential location of an offender's formative years, and recurrent acts of childhood cruelty and their impact on later repeated acts of interpersonal violence. Only repeated acts of animal cruelty during childhood was predictive of later recurrent acts of violence toward humans, showing a possible relationship between the two.
This study compares groups of homicidal offenders, violent offenders, and nonviolent offenders across a set of risk factors that included neurological disorders, early behavior problems, and abuse experiences. It was predicted that the homicidal group would present more of these risk factors than the other two groups. Also, it was predicted that the homicidal participants would show more evidence of an accumulation of these problems. The results revealed that the onset of alcohol abuse, prevalence of drug dependence, extent of physical abuse, and cruelty to animals differentiated the homicidal offenders from one or both of the other offender groups. Additionally, a combination of different risk factors proved to be a better predictor of group membership than risk factors considered in isolation from one another. The importance of targeting individuals with a combination of risk factors for preventive intervention is discussed.
Recent studies have offered compelling evidence supporting a relationship between childhood cruelty to animals and later violence against humans. This study investigated whether violent offenders were significantly more likely than nonviolent offenders to have abused animals of various types during childhood. Interviews were conducted with 45 violent and 45 nonviolent offenders incarcerated in a maximum-security prison and randomly selected for this study by institutional staff members. Two data collection instruments were used. The first extracted demographic and social history from the participants. The second was used to gather information regarding cruelty to animals as categorized into four types (wild, farm, pet, and stray). Results indicated that a statistically significant relationship existed between childhood cruelty to animals and later violence against humans. Furthermore, the study found, consistent with prior research, that violent offenders were significantly more likely than nonviolent offenders to have committed acts of cruelty toward pet animals as children.
The topic of animal cruelty has been largely neglected by criminological researchers. However, studies suggest that children who are cruel to animals disproportionally tend to be violent to people later in life. Case histories of serial killers and mass murderers suggest that many were cruel to animals in their childhood. Furthermore, it is argued that cruelty to animals in a family tends to be associated with domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse. Unfortunately, much of the previous research was based on small, unrepresentative samples, with poor or no control samples and retrospective information. Prospective longitudinal surveys of large representative samples are needed. Family based prevention programs might be effective in reducing cruelty to animals, but experimental evaluations of such programs are required. The time is ripe for a major research program to advance knowledge about the causes and prevention of animal cruelty and its implications for criminology.
Preventing and treating childhood cruelty to animals will require a) qualitative, as well as quantitative, assessment methods and b) specification of the varied motivations for such behavior. Although some information is available about the prevalence and frequency of animal maltreatment in samples of children and adolescents, especially those diagnosed with Conduct Disorder, other dimensions of such maltreatment (e.g., severity, chronicity) are only beginning to be explored. We describe the research and development process leading to construction of a semi-structured interview, the Children and Animals (Cruelty to Animals) Assessment Instrument (CAAI), for use with children over four years of age and their parents, to obtain information on animal maltreatment. The CAAI was field-tested with a community and clinical sample of twenty children and included children in day treatment and residential programs for emotionally disturbed youth, incarcerated adolescents, and children accompanying their mothers to shelters for battered women. The dimensions of cruelty to animals scorable using the CAAI include: SEVERITY (degree of intentional pain/injury caused), FREQUENCY (number of separate acts), DURATION (period of time over which cruelty occurred), RECENCY (most current acts), DIVERSITY ACROSS AND WITHIN CATEGORIES (number of types and number of animals within a type that were abused), ANIMAL SENTIENCE LEVEL, COVERT (related to child's attempts to conceal cruelty), ISOLATE (individual versus group cruelty), and EMPATHY (indications of remorse or concern for the injured animal). A method is described for converting these ratings to numerical scores in which higher scores indicate more severe, problematic cruelty. Varied motivations for children's cruelty to animals are discussed including curiosity and peer reinforcement, modification of mood state, imitation of adult cruelty, and using animals as an “implement” of self-injury. The need for the CAAI is especially critical for assessment since we often found discrepancies between parent reports on one-item cruelty-to-animals assessments (e.g., Child Behavior Checklist) and CAAI results.
A survey of university students tested whether committing animal abuse during childhood was related to approval of interpersonal violence against children and women in families. Respondents who had abused an animal as children or adolescents were significantly more likely to support corporal punishment, even after controlling for frequency of childhood spanking, race, biblical literalism, and gender. Those who had perpetrated animal abuse were also more likely to approve of a husband slapping his wife. Engaging in childhood violence against less powerful beings— animals—may generalize to the acceptance of violence against less powerful members of families and society—women and children. This paper discusses the implications of this process.
In recent years, school violence has become an issue of great concern among psychologists, educators, and law-enforcement officials. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between bullying, victimization, and abuse of nonhuman animals. The study assessed bullying and victimization experiences, animal abuse, and attitudes toward animals within a sample of 185 college males. Results of the study highlighted the important distinction between males involved in single episodes of animal abuse and those involved in multiple episodes of animal abuse. Further, results highlighted the significance of the bully/victim phenomenon with regard to participation in multiple acts of animal abuse. Those who were above the median with regard to both victimization and perpetration of physical bullying exhibited the highest rates of involvement in multiple acts of animal abuse and also exhibited the lowest levels of sensitivity with regard to cruelty-related attitudes pertaining to animals. The study discusses theoretical mechanisms linking bullying and animal abuse as well as directions for future research.
Previous research has identified a relationship between acts of cruelty to animals other than humans and involvement in other forms of antisocial behavior. The current study sought to extend these findings by examining this relationship among a sample of college students using a self-report delinquency methodology. In addition, the current study explored the rela-tionship between a history of observing or engaging in acts of animal cruelty and attitudes of sensitivity/concern regard-ing the treatment of nonhuman animals. College students (n = 169) enrolled in an Introduction to Psychology course comprised the sample. Results indicated that those partici-pants who observed acts of animal cruelty and those who participated in acts of animal cruelty had higher scores on a self-report delinquency scale than did those who had never observed or participated in acts of animal cruelty. Observation of acts of animal cruelty interacted with sex to predict atti-tudes toward the treatment of animals. Observation of ani-mal cruelty and par ticipation in animal cruelty affected delinquency scores independently. The current study discusses implications and directions for future research.
Empirical research has increasingly found evidence for the coexistence of animal abuse and various forms of interpersonal
violence. Some researchers have even argued for a specific version of this relationship, namely, that individuals tend to
move from violence toward animals, particularly in childhood, to subsequent violence toward humans. Others have suggested
that the evidence for this graduation or progression hypothesis is weak and inconsistent, and that an approach to animal abuse
that focuses on the link is misguided. This article begins by reviewing the research on the connections between animal abuse
and interhuman violence. Then it critically assesses the evidence for and against the link, and discusses the issues and challenges
facing future research in this area.
I wish I had a penny or a cent or a peso for each of the many times in the past few years that I have listened in on a conversation
or read something about human rights and animal rights and then been forced to think through to the variety of its possible
conclusions what for three shipwrecked and hungry survivors in a lifeboat on the high seas is the proper thing to do about
their thirst and imminent starvation. Suppose that the three survivors of this shipwreck are an adult human, the ship’s cabin
boy and a dog. Suppose also that they are several days away from rescue and without hope of acquiring food or potable water
from their salt-water environment. For purposes of survival in this dire situation, may one of the two humans kill and eat
one of the other two survivors? If so, which one? To these two questions almost certainly the response by two of the shipwrecked
survivors themselves, by would-be in-contact-radio-rescuers, by medical consultants, by theological experts and by the general
public would be: “it’s alright to eat the dog”.
This paper contributes to a rethinking of animal abuse control and animal welfare protection in criminology, specifically,
and in the social sciences more broadly. We do this, first, through a broad mapping of the institutional control complex around
animal abuse in contemporary Britain. Second, we focus on the institutional strategies and practices, past and present, of
the main agency of animal protection, and the policing thereof, in this society, namely the Royal Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). In looking back to this charity’s growth since the first decades of the nineteenth century
at the time of the birth of modern industrial capitalism and also to its current rationale and practices as a late-modern,
corporate organisation, we explore the seeming paradox of a private body taking a lead on the regulation and prosecution of
illegalities associated with animal-human relationships. Finally, the ideology and strategy of the RSPCA are explored in the
context of the often visceral and culturally influential ‘morality war’ associated with proponents, respectively, of animal
rights (‘abolition’) and ‘anthropic’ welfare proponents (‘regulation’ and ‘protection’).
This paper reviews the literature that addresses the impact of an abusive family context on childhood animal cruelty and adult violence. In the first section, literature is presented that outlines possible abusive family contextual factors associated with childhood animal cruelty and adult violence. In the second section, theories presented in the literature conjecturing about the impact of an abusive family context on childhood animal cruelty and adult violence are reviewed. Section 3 addresses the predictive validity of an abusive family context on adult violence. In the final section, assessment measures and interventions of childhood animal cruelty are discussed. Such discussion focuses on the acknowledgement of an abusive family context in the assessment and intervention of childhood animal cruelty. Overall, the literature suggests that an abusive family context may be a better predictor of adult violence than childhood animal cruelty.
Animal abuse by preadolescents has been associated with their later family violence and/or criminal behaviour; less is known about animal abuse and concurrent experience of being a victim at home and/or school, or of contemporaneous aggression to peers.
To establish the prevalence of animal abuse among Italian preadolescents and its relationship with experience of abuse at home and school (direct and witnessed), and to peer abuse (bullying).
An Italian community sample of 268 girls and 264 boys (aged 9-12) completed a self-reported questionnaire about victimization at home and school, animal abuse and bullying.
Two in five preadolescents admitted abusing animals at least once in their life, and one in three bullying peers at school, with a higher prevalence among boys. Over three-quarters of all participants reported at least one type of victim experience: one-third had experienced inter-parental violence; over one-third had themselves been abused by one or both parents; two in five had been directly or indirectly victimized at school. Individual tests of association suggested gender differences. Multivariate regression analyses conducted separately for boys and girls showed that the independent variable accounted for more than 25% of the variance for the girls, but less than 10% for the boys. Experiences of abuse were the key independent variables for the girls; other expressions of aggression were the key variables for the boys.
The results suggest that discovery of animal abuse should prompt further enquiries about other problems that a child may have. Detection of animal abuse by a child could offer an early opportunity for intervention to alleviate internalized damage or other aggressive behaviour.
Recent research has begun to establish a relationship between childhood acts of animal cruelty and later violence against humans. However, few studies have focused on the influence of animal cruelty methods on later interpersonal violence. In a replication of a study by Hensley and Tallichet (2009) and based on a sample of 180 inmates at medium- and maximum-security prisons in a Southern state, the present study examines the relationship between several retrospectively identified animal cruelty methods (drowned, hit, shot, kicked, choked, burned, and sex) and interpersonal violence committed against humans. Four out of 5 inmates reported hitting animals. Over one third of the sample chose to shoot or kick animals, while 1 in 5 had sex with them. Less then one fifth of the sample drowned or choked animals, while less than one sixth of the inmates burned animals. Regression analyses revealed that the age at which offenders began committing animal cruelty and having sex with animals were predictive of adult interpersonal violence.
The present study seeks to replicate Tallichet, Hensley, and Singer's research on childhood animal cruelty methods by using a sample of 180 male inmates surveyed at both medium- and maximum-security prisons in a southern state. The purpose of the current study was to first reexamine the relationship between demographic and situational factors and specific methods of childhood animal cruelty. Second, the correlation between an abuser's chosen method(s) of childhood animal cruelty on later recurrent acts of adult violent crimes was reinvestigated. Regression analyses revealed that respondents who engaged in frequent animal cruelty were more likely to have drowned, shot, kicked, or had sex with animals. Those who had grown up in urban areas and those who did not become upset after abusing animals were more likely to have kicked animals. Respondents who covered up their abuse were more likely to have had sex with animals. Sex with animals was the only method of childhood animal cruelty that predicted the later commission of adult violent crimes.
Although bestiality is an infrequent form of animal cruelty, the possibility of identifying a potential link between these acts and later interpersonal violence is an area of research that deserves further exploration. In a replication of the Hensley, Tallichet, and Singer study and based on survey data from male inmates at a medium- and maximum-security prison in a southern state, the present investigation examines whether inmates who engaged in childhood bestiality (n = 23) differ from those who did not (n = 157) in terms of race, childhood residence, education, commission of a personal crime (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated/simple assault), and the number of personal crimes committed. The results revealed that respondents who had engaged in childhood bestiality were more likely to commit adult interpersonal crimes on two or more occasions as compared to those who had not engaged in bestiality. These findings lend further support to the sexually polymorphous theory that childhood bestiality may be a potential precursor to adult interpersonal violence.
Patterson-Kane, E. G. and Piper, H. Animal abuse as a sentinel for human violence: a critique. Journal of social issues, 2009, vol. 65, no. 3, pp. 589-614. Published by and copyright Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. The definitive version of this article is available from http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/ It has been suggested that acts of violence against human and nonhuman animals share commonalities, and that animal abuse is a sentinel for current or future violence toward people. The popular and professional acceptance of strong connections between types of violence is beginning to be used to justify social work interventions and to influence legal decision making, and so requires greater scrutiny. Examination of the limited pool of empirical data suggests that animal abuse is relatively common among men, with violent offenders having an increased probability of reporting prior animal abuse—with the majority of violent offenders not reporting any animal abuse. Causal explanations for "the link," such as empathy impairment or conduct disorder, suffer from a lack of validating research and, based on research into interhuman violence, the assumption that violence has a predominant, single underlying cause must be questioned. An (over)emphasis on the danger that animal abusers pose to humans serves to assist in achieving a consensus that animal abuse is a serious issue, but potentially at the cost of failing to focus on the most common types of abuse, and the most effective strategies for reducing its occurrence. Nothing in this review and discussion should be taken as minimizing the importance of animals as frequent victims of violence, or the co-occurrence of abuse types in "at-risk" households. However, given the weakness of the underlying data, emphasizing the indiscriminate dangerousness of all animal abusers may have unforeseen and unwanted consequences.
To examine the sociodemographic, behavioral, and psychiatric correlates of cruelty to animals in the US.
Data were derived from a nationally representative sample of adults residing in the US Structured psychiatric interviews (N=43,093) were completed by trained lay interviewers between 2001 and 2002. Personality, substance use, mood, and anxiety disorders and cruelty to animals were assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule (DSM-IV) version.
The lifetime prevalence of animal cruelty in US adults was 1.8%. Men, African-Americans, Native-Americans/Asians, native-born Americans, persons with lower levels of income and education and adults living the western region of the US reported comparatively high levels of cruelty to animals, whereas Hispanics reported comparatively low levels of such behavior. Cruelty to animals was significantly associated with all assessed antisocial behaviors. Adjusted analyses revealed strong associations between lifetime alcohol use disorders, conduct disorder, antisocial, obsessive-compulsive, and histrionic personality disorders, pathological gambling, family history of antisocial behavior, and cruelty to animals.
Cruelty to animals is associated with elevated rates observed in young, poor, men with family histories of antisocial behavior and personal histories of conduct disorder in childhood, and antisocial, obsessive-compulsive and histrionic personality disorders, and pathological gambling in adulthood. Given these associations, and the widespread ownership of pets and animals, effective screening of children, adolescents and adults for animal cruelty and appropriate mental health interventions should be deployed.
The authors evaluated the criteria that are cited in the literature as predictive of homicidal predisposition. They applied three categories of criteria--clinical, developmental, and environmental factors--to a study group of 10 adolescents who had committed homicide, 10 who had threatened or attempted homicide, and 10 hospitalized controls. Their findings did not support the presence of a well-crystallized predisposition for homicidal behavior in this population, but they did show that the adolescents who committed homicide were psychotic-regressive and those who threatened or attempted homicide were organic-impulsive. The study strongly suggests the importance of environmental factors in reinforcing homicidal behavior.
Eighteen cases of children who raised concern because of their cruelty to animals were reviewed. The results revealed that they were all boys, usually young (average age 91/2), and of normal intelligence, and that they showed many other aggressive symptoms, such as destructiveness, bullying, fighting, stealing, and fire setting. Etiologic factors ranged from strictly biologic factors (Organic Brain Syndrome) to strictly environmental factors or to a combination of psycho-bio-social factors. The chaotic home with aggressive parental models was the most common factor.