One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it. ~Margaret Mead |
The LinkAnimal Cruelty May Just Be Tip Of IceburgBy Lynn Harris |
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Albert Schweitzer said, "Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives." Research shows that many people who commit acts of cruelty against animals move on to their fellow humans. The FBI has found that a history of cruelty to animals is one of the traits that regularly appear in its computer records of serial rapists and murderers. Notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer had impaled dogs' heads, frogs and cats on sticks. Brenda Spencer, who opened fire at a San Diego school killing two children and injuring nine, had repeatedly abused cats and dogs - setting their tails on fire. Teenager Kip Kinkel in Springfield, Oregon, tortured animals before embarking on his shooting spree. In a well-designed study by two sociologists, Arnold Arluke and Jack Levin, and Carter Luke of the Massachusetts SPCA, the records of the SPCA for the years 1975 to 1996 were examined. They identified 153 men who had been prosecuted for animal cruelty and compared their criminal records to a group of men, similar in age, ethnic background, neighborhood and economic status. They found that the men who abused animals were five times more likely to have been arrested for violence against humans, four times more likely to have committed property crimes, and three times more likely to have records for drug and disorderly conduct offenses. This was corroborated by another study that found there was a significant association between acts of cruelty to animals in childhood and serious recurrent aggression against people (Kellert and Felthous). We also know that animal abuse is closely associated with family violence. Parents who neglect an animal's need for proper care or abuse animals may also abuse or neglect their own children. And it's not always the parent who is harming the animal. Several studies show this connection: A 1997 survey at 50 of the largest shelters for battered women in the U.S. found that 85 percent of women and 63 percent of children entering shelters discussed incidents of pet abuse in the family (Ascione, F.R. 1997). In a 1983 New Jersey study of 53 families being treated by the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services for incidents of child abuse, 88 percent of the families also had occurrences of animal abuse. Two thirds of the pets were abused by fathers and one third were abused by the children (Deviney, Dickert & Lockwood, 1983). Many batterers, usually male, vicariously abuse women and children by hurting the animals they love, to exert power over their partner or child. Abusers also harm animals to punish their partners for leaving, or trying to. One man, whose wife went to a domestic violence shelter, sent his mother-in-law a picture of him using gardening shears to chop off the ears of his wife's dog. Sadly, society does not yet fully recognize animal abuse as a serious crime. Most states classify animal cruelty as a misdemeanor, and in many cases, animal abuse goes unprosecuted. There are, however, a number of programs that address this issue and are working for change. In 1991, the American Humane Association (AHA) gathered 30 experts from diverse fields at the Summit On Violence To Children and Animals. The mission was to identify issues and symptoms of child and animal abuse, set an agenda for change and define steps for collaborative community programs. Following this meeting, AHA's Washington DC office began highlighting the issue of the Link to legislators. The work began to pay off when Representative Tom Lantos introduced the first congressional resolution officially recognizing the Link between animal abuse and human violence. In his speech before congress, he stated, "Violence against animals co-exists with and precedes violent crimes, especially crimes of domestic violence. The federal government must not overlook this correlation…We must reject the notion that violence against animals is simply normal societal behavior." (Statement in the Congressional Record - June 4, 1998, H. Con. Res. 286.) In 1998, The American Humane Association designed and implemented the first National Resource Center on the Link Between Violence to People and Animals. It provides resource materials and support, through publications and the Internet, to professionals and citizens working on local community efforts. Upon request, American Humane will put on a seminar or workshop in any community. They're all-day events, hosted by the community and facilitated by the association. Participants will: discover the relationship between animal and human abuse, identify its impact on the community, identify other county animal and human welfare organizations and develop a networking relationship with responding community agencies. The Humane Society of the U.S. runs a campaign called The First Strike to raise awareness of the Link between animal cruelty and domestic violence. First Strike also facilitates workshops and provides educational materials specifically for professionals working to prevent family violence. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), which is located in New York, (but does outreach and education through the country) has formed the ASPCA Family VISION Task Force to increase communication between agencies - similar to the First Strike program. And the Link is being recognized in some communities. The Baltimore police dept. now includes animal cruelty awareness in the guidelines that it gives officers handling domestic violence cases. And their police department's domestic violence team includes representatives from law enforcement, social services and animal control. The members are cross-trained to recognize and respond to various combinations of domestic violence and animal abuse. In Colorado Springs, an investigator from the local Humane Society is part of a domestic violence task force formed by the police dept. Many communities have established programs for housing the pets of women and children entering shelters. In fact, there's such a program in Tulsa, run by the Tulsa SPCA called Foster Pet Safe Haven. However, there's still much to do. According to Julie Morris, Senior VP of National Shelter Outreach, the ASPCA is mandated in New York State to report suspected child abuse. But the reverse isn't required. They only get a call from social services or the police when there are significant signs of animal cruelty and then only from very conscientious people. The state has a bill that's been pending for many years which requires those investigating child abuse be mandated to report suspected animal abuse they observe in performing their jobs. However, the child care agencies consistently oppose this legislation on the grounds that they're already so overwhelmed and understaffed that they can't possibly take on another task. According to Catherine English, Superintendent of the Animal Welfare Div. of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma has no mandate either way. But, if her officers see obvious signs that neglect or abuse is occurring, they alert the police. Occasionally, code enforcement officers, other government officials and sometimes social workers alert them of animal abuse or neglect. More research is needed for a better understanding of the dynamics of animal abuse in families where there is domestic violence. Fiona Becker of the NSPCC Child Protection Training and Consultancy Group, summarizes six major themes that emerge from research to date:
Collaboration between domestic violence services and animal welfare programs is a step in the right direction of understanding and reducing aggression toward humans and animals. Cross training and referrals between animal welfare personnel, law enforcement, social services and mental health professionals needs to become routine. The information in this article is from the following resources: The American Humane Association 303-792-9900 www.americanhumane.org The National Resource Center on the Link Between Violence to People and Animals 877-LINK-222 (877-546-5222) link@americanhumane.org The Humane Society of the United States First StrikeTM Campaign 202-452-1100 www.hsus.org/firststrike/ American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 212-876-7700 www.aspca.org The Latham Foundation for the Promotion of Humane Education 510-521-0920 www.latham.org Frank R. Ascione, Ph.D. Department of Psychology Utah State University 435-797-1464 franka@coe.usu.edu Psychologists For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PSYETA) www.psyeta.org. Back to Features |
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