The Relationship Between Animal Abuse and Child Abuse

"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."

Animal abuse by member of the family, whether parent or child, often means child abuse is going on too.

One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it.

Nearly all children go through a stage of "innocent" cruelty during which they may harm insects or other small animals in the process of exploring their world. Most children, however, with guidance from parents and teachers, develop empathy for the pain animals can suffer. Some, however, become locked into a lifetime pattern of cruelty.

Alberto Desalvo, the self-confessed 1962-63 "Boston Strangler" who killed thirteen women had,as a youth, trapped dogs and cats in orange crates and shot arrows through the boxes.

Carroll Edward Cole, executed in 1985, was one of the most prolific killers in moden history. His first act of violence as a child was to strangle a cat.

Brenda Spencer fired forty shots at San Diego school children, fatally wounding two and injuring nine others. Neighbors later informed police that Spencer had repeatedly abused dogs and cats, often setting their tails on fire.

Most animal murders will not commit sensational murders, but they have already taken a step on the path of violence. Ground-breaking studies by psychiatrist Alan Felthous and others, indicate that many criminals that have been violent toward people share a common history of brutal parental punishment and cruelty to animals. Yet, even today, it is not unusual to find school and judicial systems in which animal abuse is not taken seriously.

This is especially disturbing since animal abuse not only can portend the potential for violence against humans, but it also maybe an indication of a family in trouble now. Research bears this out.

Recently, Deviney, Dickert, and Lockwood studied 57 families being treated by New Jersey's Division of Youth and Family Services for incidents of child abuse. In 88 percent of these families, animals in the home had also been abused, usually by the parent.

These findings are consistent with those of James Hutton who reviewed the animal cruelty reports for one community in England. Of the 23 families with a history of animal abuse, 83 percent had been identified by human social service agencies as having children at risk of abuse or neglect.

What We Can Do

As educators and other guardians of youth, we must affirm that any child who abuses animals is in need of immediate help. We must further recognize that if animal abuse is occurring in a family, child abuse may be happening also. Most importantly, we must intervene to break the cycle of abuse.

Be Aware

Do not ignore even minor acts of cruelty. Correct the child and express your concerns to his or her parents. Urge your school district, judicial system,and child welfare service agency to take acts of animal cruelty seriously.

Take seriously children's reports of animal abuse in the home. Animal abuse, by a parent or child, is one indicator that a child may be at risk of abuse. Early intervention can some times prevent the abuse from ever occurring. Animal abuse can also mean that child abuse is already occurring. Some children who will not talk about their own abuse will reveal what is happening to their pet. If a child describes animal abuse in the home, the school counselor and psychologist should be immediately notified, as well as the local animal welfare agency, which can check up on the care of any animals in the home.

Be on the lookout for other indicators of child abuse and neglect. The references listed on the back of this brochure will help you identify other critical indicators.

Report It

If you suspect child abuse or neglect, do not hesitate to report it. All states require this of teachers. Some states require teachers to immediately report even suspicions of abuse or neglect. Others expect cases to be fairly well documented. Know the guidelines for your state and school district. All states provide reporting teachers with immunity.

If you believe an animal is being mistreated, contact your local animal welfare agency (or the police, if there is no such agency). As a rule, failure to provide adequate food, water, and shelter or the use of physical force sufficient to leave a mark or otherwise cause injury constitutes cruelty to animals according to most state laws. Your actions may not only help the animal, but may also identify a person in need of help. Intervention can prevent escalation of abuse.

Don't assume someone else would know if something was wrong.

Be ready and willing to testify against abuse and neglect. Document conversations and evidence.

Mobilize and Organize

Distribute copies of this information. Make others aware of the link between animal abuse and other violent crimes,including child abuse. Speak to your local PTA, child welfare service agency, animal welfare organization, clergy, school counselor and psychologist, veterinarians, juvenile judges, police, and others. Urge agencies to share information with one another.

Establish a task force in your school to work on breaking the cycle of abuse. Procedures can be established concerning what to do if a student abuses an animal on the school grounds or while waiting for the bus. Teachers can be informed about the warning signs that indicate a family is in need of help. Guidelines for contacting social services can be distributed, as well as suggestions for communicating with suspected abusive parents. Teachers need to know, for instance, what to do if the parent of a suspected abused child demands that the child be removed from the reporting teacher's class.

Utilize resources. There are many excellent sources of help.

Resources

How Schools Can Help Combat Child Abuse and Neglect, a thorough handbook from the National Education Association (NEA), is available for $10.95 in paperback (N.E.A., P.O. Box 509, West Haven, CT 06516).

Educators, Schools and Child Abuse, published by The National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse, is available for $1.50 per copy (P.O. Box 2866, Chicago, IL 60690). Additional help is available from The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (P.O. Box 1182, Washington, DC 20013).

Written by Patty A. Finch. Special thanks to Dr. Randall Lockwood, psychologist, The Humane Society of the United States. Additional copies of this brochure are available, 15 copies for $3.00, single copies 50 cents. Write to the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education (NAHEE), P.O. Box 362, East Haddam, CT 06423-0362.

©1992, The National Association for Humane and Environmental Education, the youth education division of The Humane Society of the United States.