The link between animalabuse

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The link between animal-abuse human abuseSA
Animal Law Review Workshop13 August 2009

• Presenter Magdie van Heerden
• BA(SW) MA(SW) DPhilUP
• EduPet Humane Education Centre

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Why abuse towards animals is not front page news?

• Animals valued less
• Other societal issues
• Media reports
• Seen as isolated incidents
• Acceptable forms of violence
• Perceptions re. those who care
• Silence easy to ignore

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Why we can no longer ignore violence towards
animals?
? Serious antisocial behavior ? Common
childhood occurrence ? Negative developmental
consequences ? Related to interpersonal
violence ? Marker of family violence ?
Well-being of companion animals ? Violent
society
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Research on the link between animal abuse
family violence (different studies)

• 21 of intentional animal cruelty (shoot, beat,
  mutilate, burn/poison) involved some form of
  family violence (domestic, child, elder abuse)
• 50 of perpetrators in school shootings had
  histories of animal abuse
• 70 animal abusers had records for crimes of
  violence, drugs or social disorder
• Animal abuse or neglect observed in 60 of
  families investigated for child abuse
• Incidence of dog bites 11x greater in above
  mentioned families
• 71 pet-owning women entering shelter reported
  partner threatened, hurt or killed animals

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Research on the link between animal abuse
family violence (continued)

• ?54 - 68 battered women reported partners hurt
  or killed animals
• ?25 battered womens concern for pets welfare
  prevented seeking shelter
• 87 of animal abuse occurred in presence of
  battered women
• Histories of childhood/adolescent animal abuse
  reported in
• - 25 aggressive male prison inmates
• - 30 convicted child molesters
• - 36 assaultive women offenders
• - 46 incarcerated sexual homicide perpetrators
• - 48 convicted rapists

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The phenomena of abuse Why do people abuse?

• Feel/be in control
• Demonstrate power
• Low self esteem
• Retaliate against presumed wrong doing by victim
• Satisfy prejudice
• Impress/scare
• To shock/get attention
• Displaced hostility/get even
• Non-specific sadism
• Personal values norms

• Cultural values norms
• Lack problem solving skills
• Lack emotional control
• Peer pressure
• Family socialization/history
• Feelings of insecurity
• Intra family conflict
• Male dominance
• Pervasiveness of violence in society
• Other?

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The phenomena of abuse Children animal abuse

• ? 50 of all children, 66 male children exposed
  to cruelty to animals
• ? 1st experience age 6-12
• ? 20 of all children perpetrators
• ? 1st cruel act involved as a teenager
• Since 1987 included in DSM-IIIR
• Early indicator of child psychopathology
• Criteria for diagnoses of conduct disorder

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The phenomena of abuse Consequences for
childhood development

• emotional
• ? psychological
• ? cognitive
• ? physical
• spiritual
• social

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How to identify abuseSuspected domestic violence

• Risk factors
• - financial problems, unemployment
• - divorce/separation during pregnancy
• - drug/alcohol abuse
• - victim or perpetrator abused as child
• - overly protective or controlling perpetrator
• - suicide attempts by victim or perpetrator
• - mental illness
• - violent behavior in general

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How to identify abuseConditions suggestive of
animal abuse

• Animal welfare concerns
• Environmental concerns
• Caregiver concerns
• Physical injuries to animal/s

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Humane EducationThe key to positive
human-animal interactions
? develop compassion, sense of justice,
respect ?value of all living creatures ?knowledge
understanding to behave accordingly ?foster
sense of responsibility ?act upon personal beliefs
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Multidisciplinary approach

• Share a vision
• Establish a task force
• Establish lines of communications
• Convene regularly
• Develop short- long-term plans
• Implement plans
• - commitment
• - research
• - clear action plans
• - training opportunities
• - documentation
• - community resources
• - community engagement
• 6. Monitor progress, evaluate recognize
  accomplishments

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Source references

• Arkow, P. 2003. Breaking the cycles of violence.
  The Latham Foundation.
• Flynn, C.P. 2000. Why family professionals can no
  longer ignore violence toward animals. Family
  Relations, Vol. 49(1).
• Loar, L. Colman, L. 2004. Teaching empathy. The
  Latham Foundation.
• Mason, C. 2001. Why do people harm animals?
  White-Thomson Publishers.
• Rivera, M.A. 2004. Canines in the classroom.
  Lantern Books.

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EduPet Humane Education
CentrePretoriawww.edupet.co.za(012)
480 2021(083) 456-8889magdie_at_edupet.co.za