Animal Cruelty
There are two kinds of animal cruelty inherent across the spectrum of animal abuse. ACTIVE CRUELTY, which is cruelty inflicted (with deliberate intent to harm an animal creating immediate pain and suffering), and PASSIVE CRUELTY (harm inflicted via willful neglect creating prolonged suffering).
Animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people. Deviant behaviors such as animal abuse generally originate from a traumatic childhood. The American Psychiatric Association considers animal cruelty as one of the diagnostic criteria of conduct disorder. The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines conduct disorder as “a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age appropriate societal norms or rules are violated.” Clinical evidence indicates that animal cruelty is one of the symptoms usually seen at the earliest stages of conduct disorder, often by the age of eight.
Many psychological, sociological and criminology studies in recent decades have clearly shown that violent offenders have adolescent histories of serious and repeated animal cruelty. The F.B.I. has analyzed the lives of serial killers and their findings suggest that most serial killers have killed or tortured animals as children. Further research has shown consistent patterns of animal cruelty among perpetrators of more common forms of abuse such as: child abuse, spouse abuse and elder abuse.
The link between animal abuse and interpersonal violence is becoming so well established that many U.S. communities now cross-train social-service and animal-control agencies in how to recognize signs of animal abuse as possible indicators of other abusive behaviors
An abundance of research shows the close link between violent behavior toward animals and violent behavior toward people. They reveal the insidious and calculated motives for harming or killing another person´s beloved pet, and the heartrending repercussions for the abused partners, their pets and their children.
A famous study by Kellert and Felthous found that family violence, particularly alcoholism and paternal abuse, were significantly more common among aggressive criminals with a history of childhood cruelty toward animals. This connects with statistical information from animal control agencies in the United States. They say that in 80% of homes in which animal control agencies found abused pets, there had been investigations by child welfare agencies due to reports of physical abuse and neglect.
Other research results include:
- Up to 75 percent of domestic violence victims report that their partners threatened or killed family pets.
- Women seeking safety at domestic violence shelters are nearly 11 times more likely to report that their partner has hurt or killed pets than women who have not experienced domestic violence.
- 48 percent of respondents reported that animal abuse had occurred “often” during the past 12 months.
- 30 percent reported the abuse occurred “almost always.”
- 51 percent reported that animal abuse incidents coincided with violent outbursts against human family members.
- 85 percent of the 50 largest shelters for battered women in the United States said clients discussed incidence of pet abuse in the family.
- Overall, 71 percent of women and 63 percent of children entering the shelters reported that animals had been the target of violence.
If you see an act of violence against any animal, report it to the R. S.P.C.A. and to the police.