Why animal cruelty is bad

A landmark study by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Northeastern University found that animal abusers are in fact five times as likely to also harm other humans. If a child is cruel to animals, research shows it may be a sign that serious abuse or neglect has been inflicted on the child. Children who witness animal abuse are at greater risk of becoming abusers themselves. This finding is in line with other research showing that domestic violence toward pets both correlates with domestic violence toward humans, and is also a tool of domestic abuse — violent members of the household will threaten to hurt or actually hurt a companion animal as a method of control and a form of emotional violence.

Indeed, more than half of women in domestic violence shelters report that they delayed their escape out of fear for their animals. Both because animals themselves need protection, and because of the link between cruelty to animals and cruelty to humans, violence against animals must be taken seriously under the law. There are some ways in which the law is reflecting this seriousness. For example, all 50 states now have felony animal cruelty laws on the books.

Nearly two thirds of states allow pets to be included in domestic violence protective orders. There are felony provisions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for intentionally killing a dog or cat.

Animal cruelty encompasses a range of behaviors harmful to animals, from neglect to malicious killing. Most cruelty investigated by humane officers is unintentional neglect that can be resolved through education. Intentional cruelty can run the gamut from knowingly depriving an animal of food, water, shelter, socialization or veterinary care to maliciously torturing, maiming, mutilating or killing an animal.

All animal cruelty is a concern because it is wrong to inflict suffering on any living creature. Intentional cruelty is a particular concern because it is a sign of psychological distress and often indicates that an individual either has already been a victim of violence or might be predisposed to committing acts of violence. There can be many reasons. Animal cruelty, like any other form of violence, is often committed by a person who feels powerless, unnoticed or under the control of others.

The motive may be to shock, threaten, intimidate or offend others or to demonstrate rejection of society's rules. Some who are cruel to animals copy acts they have seen or that have been done to them. Others see harming an animal as a safe way to get revenge against—or threaten— someone who cares about that animal.

Many studies in psychology, sociology and criminology in the past 25 years have demonstrated that violent offenders frequently have childhood and adolescent histories of serious and repeated animal cruelty [PDF].

The FBI has recognized the connection since the s, when its analysis of the lives of serial killers suggested that most had killed or tortured animals as children. Other research has shown consistent patterns of animal cruelty among perpetrators of other forms of violence, including child abuse, spousal abuse and elder abuse.

In fact, the American Psychiatric Association considers animal cruelty one of the diagnostic criteria of conduct disorder. Depending on the severity of the case, those convicted of animal cruelty can be imprisoned. Appropriate sentencing can also include individual or family counseling, community service, placement in a diversion program and a prohibition on owning or caring for animals.

It is rarely the goal of police to imprison a child for cruelty to animals. Law enforcement officers and judges recognize that cruelty to animals is one part of a complex problem. Sometimes, the official response to animal cruelty provides a family its first opportunity to get help. While many jurisdictions will respond to an anonymous complaint, successful prosecutions often depend on an identifiable witness who can authenticate evidence.

Because there is no national reporting requirement for animal abuse, there is no way to track the number of animal cruelty cases that are filed or that make it to court each year. Definition of animal cruelty In summary, animal cruelty is defined as any intentional and repeated behavior that causes physical or psychological distress in animals, including, but not limited to, causing unnecessary pain, suffering, distress, or death of an animal.

Definition of domestic violence The term domestic violence will include any act of emotional, psychological, physical, or sexual abuse or neglect that occur within a family unit, regardless of the relationship between the adults and children. Definition of batterer The term batterer will include those who emotionally, psychologically, physically, or sexually harm or abuse their romantic or relationship partner, regardless of whether married, sexual preference, or whether residing together.

Corporal punishment Parents who condone corporal punishment are at higher risk of also engaging in animal cruelty. Risky families Children who develop aggressive and antisocial behaviors including animal abuse tend to be exposed to what is referred to as the risky family. Motivations for animal cruelty Batterers use threats to harm, actual harm, and actually kill pets in order to control their victims.

The violence graduation hypothesis This approach suggests that animal cruelty in childhood is predictive of violence towards humans in adulthood. Some of the motivations for engaging in animal cruelty include: Control of the animal or of others Retaliation Expression of aggression Shock and amusement Displacement of aggression Sadism Specific developmental motivations may include: 49 Curiosity or exploration Peer pressure Mood enhancement Sexual gratification Force abuse being forced to engage in sex with animals Attachment to the animal Posttraumatic play Imitation Intimidation abuse pet to intimidate others For more in-depth discussion on motivations see a typology for juvenile firesetters has been used to also assess juveniles who engage in animal cruelty.

Psychopathy Traits of psychopathy become evident in childhood, including the hallmark sign of callous- unemotional traits. Oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder When assessing children and adolescents for Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder , it is imperative to assess for other types of acting out behavior as well, in addition to assessing the home environment for abuse and other deviant issues.

Additional mental health diagnosis associated with animal cruelty Other mental health diagnosis correlated with cruelty to animals include Conduct Disorder , Antisocial Personality Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, Histrionic Personality Disorder, and a significant association with Substance Use Disorders, Pathological Gambling, and a family history of antisocial behavior.

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest. Ascione FR. The abuse of animals and human interpersonal violence: Making the connection. Child abuse, domestic violence, and animal abuse: Linking the circles of compassion for prevention and intervention. IN: Purdue University Press. Dadds MR. Conduct problems and cruelty to animals in children: What is the link? Violence against animals and people: Is aggression against living beings generalized?

Can violent offenders be distinguished from frequent offenders: Prediction from childhood to adolescence. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency. Piquero AR. Frequency, specialization, and violence in offending careers. Ascione FR, Arkow P. Beirne P. From animal abuse to interhuman violence? A critical review of the progression thesis. Society and Animals. Domestic violence and animal cruelty: Untangling the web of abuse.

Special section: Domestic violence and social work education. Journal of Social Work Education. Animal cruelty and psychiatric disorders.

Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Henry BC. The relationship between animal cruelty, delinquency, and attitudes toward the treatment toward animals. Recurrent childhood animal cruelty: Is there a relationship to adult recurrent interpersonal violence. Criminal Justice Review. Behavior problems in sexually abused young children.

Journal of ediatric Psychology. Criminal histories of a subsample of animal cruelty offenders. Aggression and Violent Behavior. Lockwood R, Ascione FR. Cruelty to animals and interpersonal violence: Readings in research and application. Newberry M. Pets in danger: Exploring the link between domestic violence and animal abuse.

The relationship between domestic violence and animal abuse: An Australian Study. Lockwood R, Church A. Deadly serious: An FBI perspective on animal cruelty. Ponder C, Lockwood R. Programs educate law enforcement on link between animal cruelty and domestic violence. The Police Chief. Animal abuse and law enforcement. Turner N. Animal abuse and the link to domestic violence. The relationship of animal abuse to violence and other forms of antisocial behavior. Journal if Interpersonal Violence.

Hensley C, Tallichet SE. Exploring the link between recurrent acts of childhood and adolescent animal cruelty and subsequent violent crime. Examining demographic and situational factors on animal cruelty motivations. Kellert S, Felthous AR. Childhood cruelty towards animals among criminals and non criminals. In R Lockwood et al. Examining the relationship between childhood animal cruelty motives and recurrent adult violent crimes toward humans.

Animal abuse and youth violence. Becker F, French L. Making the links: Child abuse, animal cruelty, and domestic violence. Child Abuse Review. Risk factors for intimate partner violence and associated injury among urban women.

Journal of Community Health. MacDonald JM. The threat to kill. American Journal of Psychiatry. The Dark Triad of personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.

Journal of Research in Personality. The dark triad and animal cruelty: Dark personalities, dark attitudes, and dark behaviors. Personality and Individual Differences. The core darkness: Uncovering the heart of the Dark Triad. European Journal of Personality. The Prison Journal. Tallichet SE, Hensley C. Rural and urban differences in the commission of animal cruelty.

Felthous AR, Yudowitz B. Approaching a comparative typology of assaultive female offenders. Schurman Kauflin D. The new predator: Women who kill. New York: Algora. Children who are cruel to animals: A review of literature and implications for developmental psychopathology. Subgroup differences in the modus operandi of adolescent sexual offenders.

Child Maltreatment. Sexual homicide: Patterns and motives. New York: The Free Press. Degue S, Dilillo D. Baldry AC. Animal abuse among preadolescents directly and indirectly victimized at school and home. Criminal Behavior and Mental Health.

Childhood cruelty to animals: assessing cruelty dimensions and motivations. The abuse of animals and domestic violence: A national survey of shelters for women who are battered. Targets for cruelty: Demographic and situational factors affecting the type of animal abused. Criminal Justice Studies. Children's experiences of companion animal maltreatment in households characterized by intimate partner violence. Animal abuse and exposure to interparental violence in Italian youth.

Associations among cruelty to animals, family conflict, and psychopathic traits in childhood. Girardi A, Pozzulo JD. Childhood experiences with family pets and internalizing symptoms in early adulthood. Hunter M. Abused boys: The neglected victims of sexual abuse. The care of pets within child abusing families. International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems. Childhood cruelty to animals: Psychiatric and demographic correlates. Significance of family risk factors in development of childhood animal cruelty in adolescent boys with conduct problems.

Journal of Family Violence. Clinical characteristics related to severity of sexual abuse: A study of seriously mentally ill youth. Rhee S, Waldman ID. Psychological Bulletin.

A study of firesetting and animal cruelty in children: Family influences and adolescent outcomes. Currie CL. Animal cruelty by children exposed to domestic violence. Lockwood R, Hodge G. Now what? Your responsibility as manager of the sanctuary is to promote the aggregate health and well-being of all the chickens in your care.

If this means you have to kill one chicken to save many more, so be it. When we think about cases where animal lives are at stake, we often tend to think in utilitarian terms. When we think about cases where human lives are at stake, we often tend to think in deontological terms. Even animal activists, committed to a view of animals and humans as moral equals, may be inclined to see animals and humans from these differing perspectives.

At an animal activist conference in Melbourne last year before the pandemic we divided the audience into small groups and gave them different scenarios featuring different species. An informal experiment, but it seems to illustrate a very human tendency to think of animals and humans according to different standards. That tendency has been observed in many contexts. Robert Nozick influentially discusses a bifurcated view along these lines in his classic Anarchy, State, and Utopia.

But the question of whether such a view can be attributed to ordinary people is only recently being rigorously studied by psychologists such as Lucius Caviola at Harvard University. Read more: Illegal hunters are a bigger problem on farms than animal activists — so why aren't we talking about that?