Child Abuse,
Domestic Violence,
and Animal Abuse
Angela Scott, J.D.
Winona State University
ascott@winona.edu
507-457-2892
Agenda
 Historical perspective
 4 major themes from the research
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A continuum of abuse
Animal abuse by children
An indicator of child abuse
Therapeutic potential
 A note on elder abuse
 Practical implications of the research
 Resources
Historical Perspective
“Outright cruelty to animals was wrong
because it produced violence
toward humans.”
Thomas Aquinas
Historical Perspective
“Those who delight in the suffering and
destruction of inferior creatures will
not be apt to be very compassionate
or benign to those of their own
species.”
John Locke
1705
Historical Perspective
“Childhood cruelty to animals may be a
precursor to antisocial behavior in
adulthood.”
Margaret Mead
1964
Historical Perspective
 1865 - Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals
 1874 - Society to Prevent Cruelty to Children
 1930s - Social Security Act – federal government
recognizes an interest in protecting children from
abuse
 1944 - Prince v. Massachusetts - S Ct. confirms
the state’s authority to intervene in the family to
protect children.
 1962 - Dr. C. Henry Kempe authors The Battered
Child Syndrome – child abuse an independent
diagnosis
 1967 - Mandated Reporting Laws all 50 states
 1970s - MR Laws expand to include sexual abuse
4 Major Themes from the
Research
 Animal Abuse as part of a continuum of abuse
within the family
 Animal abuse perpetrated by children who
show later aggressive and deviant behavior
 Animal abuse as an indicator of the existence
of child abuse
 The therapeutic potential of animals in child
development and within post abuse work
Becker and French 2004
A Continuum of Abuse
 23 families in one social service area
who were reported for animal abuse
 82% of the families were also known to
social services and the children were
considered at risk
 60% of families were known to probation
Hutton (1980)
A Continuum of Abuse
 53 families - NJ division of Youth and Family
Services
 In 88% of families where there was evidence of
physical abuse to child there was also animal
abuse.
 In approximately 2/3 of pet abusing homes the
father was abusive toward pets
 In approximately 1/3 of pet abusing homes
children were abusive toward pets
DeViney et al (1983)
A Continuum of Abuse
 Adults and children 10 times more likely
to be bitten in abusive home
 69% of families reporting animal abuse
also reported animal had harmed a
person.
 Only 6% of families in non abuse group
reported animal harmed a person
DeViney et al (1983)
A Continuum of Abuse
 21 Refuges for women
 44% of abused women reported that their
partners had abused or killed family pets
 43% of the women reported that concern
for their pets’ welfare prevented them
from leaving the relationship earlier.
Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(2000)
A Continuum of Abuse
 100 battered women / compared with a group
of women in non-violent homes
 50% of battered women reported their partner
had hurt or killed pets
 5% of non battered women reported partner
had hurt or killed pets
 Almost 25% reported that they delayed leaving
because of concern for animals.
Ascione (2000)
A Continuum of Abuse
 101 victims of domestic violence
 These victims were 11 times more likely
to report that their partner had hurt of
killed a pet than a comparison group with
no intimate partner violence
 If a pet was threatened or harmed, 34%
delayed entering shelter out of concern
for pet.
Ascione et al 2007
A Continuum of Abuse
 Domestic violence
 Animal abuse used to gain control
 Animal abuse used to gain silence.
Ascione (1998), Arkow (1996), Firmani (1997)
Continuum of Abuse
 Sexual abuse survivors reveal
 Pets used to gain control
 Pets used to ensure their silence
Adams (1998)
 Batterers who also abuse animals
 More controlling
 Used more dangerous forms of violence
including: sexual violence, marital rape
emotional violence and stalking
Simmons and Lehman (2007)
A Continuum of Abuse
Continuum of Abuse
 860 college students in 3 universities in
California, Ohio and Nebraska
 60% who witnessed or perpetrated
animal abuse cruelty as a child also
reported experience with child
maltreatment or domestic violence
DeGue and DiLillo (2009)
4 Major Themes from the
Research
 Animal Abuse as part of a continuum of abuse
within the family
 Animal abuse perpetrated by children who
show later aggressive and deviant behavior
 Animal abuse as an indicator of the existence
of child abuse
 The therapeutic potential of animals in child
development and within post abuse work
Becker and French 2004
Animal Abuse by Children
Animal abuse may be a form of rehearsal
for human directed violence.
Becker and French (2004)
Animal Abuse by Children
 28 incarcerated sexual homicide
perpetrators
 36% committed acts of animal cruelty in
childhood
 46% committed acts of animal cruelty in
adolescence
Ressler et al (1988)
Animal Abuse by Children
While not everyone who abuses animals
becomes a serial killer, virtually every
serial killer first abused animals.
Mertz-Perez et al (2001)
Animal Abuse by Children
 Albert DeSalvo – “The Boston Strangler”
 Trapped cats and dogs in boxes and shot arrows
into the boxes
 David Borkowitz “The Son of Sam”
 Shot neighbors Labrador Retriever
 Jeffrey Dahmer
 Killed neighbors pets and impaled their heads on
sticks in his yard
 Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold – Columbine
 Mutilated cats
Animal Abuse by Children
 Features of childhood cruelty that are
most predictive of later aggression
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Lack of remorse
A variety of cruel acts
Victimizing a variety of species
Being cruel to socially valuable animals
 Dogs or cats v. rats
Kellert and Felthous et al (1983)
Animal Abuse by Children
Living in a violent family
may lead some children
to vent their own fear and anger
on those more vulnerable
than they are.
Ascione
4 Major Themes from the
Research
 Animal Abuse as part of a continuum of abuse
within the family
 Animal abuse perpetrated by children who
show later aggressive and deviant behavior
 Animal abuse as an indicator of the existence
of child abuse
 The therapeutic potential of animals in child
development and within post abuse work
Becker and French 2004
An Indicator of Child abuse
 35% of boys who were sexually
abused had abused animals
 5% of non abuses boys
 27% of girls who were sexually
abused had abused animals
 3% of non abused girls
Friedrich et al (1986), Friedrich (1992)
An Indicator of Child Abuse
 12 year study
 300 children who sexually abused other
children and committed other violent
offenses.
 Many of these children were molested as
children
 20% of these children had a history of
sexually abusing animals
The Young Abusers Project Duffield et al (1998)
An Indicator of Child Abuse
It has been noted that in most cases
the sexual acts were carefully
planned with pet animals targeted,
isolated, groomed and abused
(rather like their child victim
counterparts)
Duffield et al (1998)
4 Major Themes from the
Research
 Animal Abuse as part of a continuum of abuse
within the family
 Animal abuse perpetrated by children who
show later aggressive and deviant behavior
 Animal abuse as an indicator of the existence
of child abuse
 The therapeutic potential of animals in child
development and within post abuse work
Becker and French 2004
Therapeutic Potential
Animal relationships can help children
move along the developmental
continuum and promote the
development of resilience
Gilligan (2000)
Therapeutic Potential
 Give children warmth, recognition,
attention
 Offer Comfort - physically and
emotionally
 Provide friendship and companionship
 Help children develop responsibility
 “I can do it”
 Enhance empathy
 Promote healing
A Note on Elder Abuse
Pets are often the most visible victims …
Elders on the other hand may be the
most hidden victims.
As many as one in 10
elders are abused.
Lockwood
A Note on Elder Abuse
Elder abuse and animal abuse go together
so often that when I see one I
automatically look for the other.
Barbara Fabricant
25 year investigator of animal abuse
Practical Implications of
the Research
 Cross Training
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Child Protection
Law Enforcement
Prosecutors
Health Care Professionals
Veterinarians
Humane Services
Women’s Shelters
Child Advocacy Centers
Judiciary
Adult Protection
And others
Practical Implications of
the Research
 Cross Reporting
 9 states have cross reporting legislation as
of July 2007
 California, Connecticut, District of Columbia,
Ohio, Louisiana, Maine, Oregon, Tennessee,
West Virginia
 Additional legislation pending in
 District of Columbia, New York, Ohio,
Massachusetts,
DeGue and DiLillo (2009)
Practical Implications of
the Research
 Animal inclusion in protective order
 9 states
 Maine, New York, Tennessee, Colorado, Indiana,
Illinois, Connecticut, Vermont, Nevada
 Legislation pending in
 California, New Jersey, District of Columbia
DeGue and DiLillo (2009)
Practical Implications of
the Research
 Forensic Interviews with children
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Ask children about their pets
Excellent way to build rapport
Ask are pets happy / safe?
How does your pet learn to do something
good?
 What happens if your pet does something
wrong?
Practical Implications of
the Research
 Caregiver interview
 Ask about pets in the home
 Has child witnesses violence toward people
or pets?
 Has child intentionally caused harm or injury
to pet?
 Home visits
 How are pets treated in the home?
 How do they respond while you are present?
Practical Implications of
the Research
 Break the Cycle of abuse!
 As soon as possible
 If you find one form of violence, look for
other forms of violence
 Offer counseling
 Specialized counseling from professional trained
to deal with the issues of abuse
Resources
 Safe Havens for Pet by Frank Ascione
(2000)
 http://www.vachss.com/guest_dispatches/sa
fe_havens.html
 American Humane
 www.americanhumane.org
 Humane Society of the United States
 www.hsus.org/firststrike
Resources
 50 Strategies to Prevent Violent
Domestic Crime
 http://mcgruffstore.org/50strattopre.html
“Whatever you can do
or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius,
power and magic in it.
Begin it, begin it now”
Goethe