Aggression and Animal Abuse

Violence against Animals is Linked to Family Turmoil

Mar 14, 2009

Animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people. Deviant behaviors such as animal abuse usually originates 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 DSM, (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), 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." Conduct disorder is found in those who abuse animals and abuse people.

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.

Motivations

In 1985, researchers Stephen Kellert and Alan Felthous, extensively studied the animal abuse phenomenon. They discovered several motivations that helped to characterize animal cruelty in adults, many of which are applicable to youth who abuse animals. Some motivations are:

Case reports and a youth interview study conducted by researchers Frank Ascione, T. Thompson and T. Black suggest a number of developmentally related motivations such as:

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 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.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Allen Brantley was quoted as saying “Animal cruelty is not a harmless venting of emotion in a healthy individual; this is a warning sign.” There are deep psychological issues that lead to violent crimes against people.

Dr. Randall Lockwood, who earned a doctorate in psychology and is senior vice president for anti-cruelty and training for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says that children and adolescents who are abusive to animals is often acting out violence experienced or witnessed in their home. Aggressive individuals usually become that way because of a real or perceived injustice.

Jeffrey Dahmer, David Berowitz, Ted Bundy, all sadistically tortured animals in their childhood. Brenda Spencer, who opened fire at a San Diego school, killed two students and injured nine other children. When she was young, she had repeatedly abused cats and dogs, often by setting their tails on fire.

Prevention

Like child and spousal abuse, this is a highly problematic issue that sadly, will not go away for a long time. Being proactive is something everyone can do. Volunteer time, or donate to your locate Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a start.

If you see an act of violence against any animal, report it to both the local S.P.C.A. and to the police. If you know of or suspect there is violence in a neighbor's home or a child is being abused, the perpetrator could be a future violent criminal. It's a moral and civic duty to report these situations to local child welfare agencies.

The copyright of the article Aggression and Animal Abuse in Abuse is owned by Karen Stephenson. Permission to republish Aggression and Animal Abuse in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.