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BreedersClub.net Linking Animal Cruelty to Human Violence The following article is presented courtesy of Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. FBI and Scotland Yard recognize that violence towards animals is one of five key indicators of a person who will commit violent acts against people. A past history of violence is a predictor of future aggression. U.S. states have felony offences for animal cruelty, with prison sentences up to 10 years. U.S. public opinion polls show that 81% of the surveyed respondents supported strengthening animal cruelty laws. 71% were in favour of upgrading cruelty offences from misdemeanors to felonies. 87% said cruelty to animals offences should protect wild animals as well as pets. 89% said social agencies, educators, law enforcers and animal welfare organizations should share information about animal abusers as a means of reducing child abuse. Animal abusers often suffer from low self-esteem, a history of family abuse, frustration and an inability to manage anger. Childhood cruelty may provide a child with a sense of power and mastery over animals. Typical factors are revenge, retaliation, intimidation, deviant arousal or peer pressure. In one American study, 118 out of 135 criminals, including robbers and rapists, admitted that when they were children, they had burned, hanged and stabbed domestic animals. 78% of 63 people charged with animal cruelty had also been charged with violence or threats of violence against people (Jim McIsaac, Winnipeg Police Services). 152 criminal subjects reported 373 acts involving undue harm to animals. 60% reported at least one or more acts of childhood cruelty toward animals. 41% reported 1 - 2 cruelties, 11% admitted 3 - 4 cruel acts towards animals and 8% indicated 5 or more animal cruelties during childhood. 25% of aggressive criminals reported 5 or more childhood cruelties compared to less than 6% of moderate and nonaggressive criminals. 3/4 of all aggressive criminal subjects reported excessive and repeated child abuse. (Kellert and Felthous "Childhood Cruelty Toward Animals Among Criminals and Non-Criminals", Human Relations Volume 38, No. 12, PP. 1113 - 1129). 61% of 39 women who had been abused by their partners and were living in women's shelters in Hamilton and Owen Sound said their pets had either been abused or killed by their partners. 48% said concern for the safety of their pets prevented them from leaving their abusive home sooner. Three surveys of women's shelters in Wisconsin and Utah showed an average of 74% of women with pets reported that their animals had been threatened, injured or killed by their abuser. 83% of families in Britain with a history of animal abuse were identified by social service agencies as at risk for child abuse or neglect (Royal SPCA, Britain, 1981). 58% of sexual homicide perpetrators who were sexually abused as children recounted childhood animal cruelty (Dr. Patricia Schene "One By One Is Not the Only Way" Advocate Fall/Winter 1993). See Cruelty to Animals and Interpersonal Violence (Readings in Research) edited by Dr. Randall Lockwood and Frank R. Ascione, Purdue University Press (800) 933 - 9637 (ISBN 1-55753-106-4) ($24.95 U.S.) and Child Abuse, Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse: Linking the Circles of Compassion for Prevention and Intervention by Frank Ascione and Phil Arkow Purdue University Press (ISBN 1-55753-143-9) ($24.95 U.S.) © 1999-2000 Canadian Federation of Humane Societies |
