ANIMALS AND SOCIETY:
AN INTRODUCTION TO
HUMAN-ANIMAL STUDIES
Chapter 12: Violence to Animals
C o py r i g h t M a r g o D e M e l l o a n d C o l um b i a U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 2 01 2
WHAT IS VIOLENCE TOWARDS ANIMALS?
When we think about violence towards animals, we
tend to think about instances in which an individual
has harmed, often publically and without
justification, a single animal, or perhaps a group of
animals.
But what we rarely think about is how prevalent
violence to animals is in our own society, and how a
part of our social fabric it really is. In fact, violence
to animals is truly universal —it is found in every
culture, and in every time period.
WHAT IS VIOLENCE TOWARDS ANIMALS?
Most violence towards animals is:
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Seen as isolated incidents
Part of institutions where it is normalized
Hidden from public view
Easy to ignore
INSTITUTIONAL VIOLENCE TOWARDS
ANIMALS
 Most animals raised for food or clothing are born, reared, and die in
the most extreme forms of confinement. Animals used for medical
experiments and product testing live of ten painful, lonely lives in
small cages from bir th until death, as do many animals kept for
enter tainment.
 Even those animals whom we welcome into our families suf fer through
the pet industr y that produces them. We buy millions of animals as if
they were furniture or clothes, keep many of them in inadequate
conditions, and discard them when we grow tired of them.
 About ten and a quar ter billion animals suf fer and die in the United
States ever y year for these purposes. But most of us never stop to
think about this fact, and most would never consider it to be an
example of “violence.” It is cer tainly not illegal.
 In fact, animal suf fering and death, when it occurs in an industr y like
agriculture, pets, or biomedicine, is not only not considered to be a
form of violence, it is socially acceptable. We can call this type of
violence institutional violence .
INSTITUTIONAL VIOLENCE TOWARDS
ANIMALS
 We live in a time in which people seem to care more about
animals than ever before.
 Yet, billions of animals suf fer and die every year, and most of
us are either ignorant of this reality, or choose to ignore it.
 We can not only tolerate, but can essentially commission,
violence in a context that is both invisible and distant.
 But what we will condemn is violence to an individual animal.
That’s the power of institutionalized violence: it is so well
disguised that it appears invisible.
 On the other hand, we very definitely notice the ways in
which animals are treated in cultures that are dif ferent from
ours.
CULTURE-SPECIFIC VIOLENCE
 In addition to the institutionalized forms of violence mentioned
above, every society has a number of practices that may not be
fully institutionalized, but which are culturally acceptable within
a particular setting.
 For instance, bull fighting in Spain, fox hunting in England, and
cock fighting in rural America are examples of violent activities
towards animals that may not be built into the social
institutions of society, but are seen as culturally acceptable, at
least by a certain segment of the population.
 One way to try to understand these differences is to look at
people’s modes of livelihood. What is animal cruelty to one
person is simply a way of making a living to another.
 Sometimes, however, it is not so clear that economics lies at
the heart of the ways in which we use and view animals. Often,
cultural traditions demand certain types of uses which make
very little sense to those outside of that culture. Dog killing by
South East Asian immigrants is an example, as is animal
sacrifice.
CULTURE-SPECIFIC VIOLENCE
 Why are we so outraged about individual dogs, goats or
chickens sacrificed by Hmong shamans or Santeria
practitioners?
 Cases like this outrage Americans not because animals are
killed, since billions of animals —just like those killed in
Santeria rituals—are slaughtered in the United States annually.
Instead, Americans find animal sacrifice problematic for a
number of reasons:
1. because these killings are done in public (rather than hidden
away in a slaughterhouse)
2. because the reasons for the killings are suspicious (many
don’t consider Santeria to be a legitimate religion)
3. because the killings seem barbaric—even though most
Americans don’t realize how “barbaric” the killings are in US
slaughterhouses.
4. Or perhaps because the people who kill them don’t seem like
“real” Americans
DEVIANT VIOLENCE
 Deviant violence refers to forms of violence
towards animals that are unacceptable in modern
society and that, typically, are criminalized. This
would include the killing of companion animals, or
even the killing of individual farm animals, when
they were killed in a method not sanctioned by
society or the law.
 Psychologist Frank Ascione defines cruelty as
“...socially unacceptable behavior that
intentionally causes unnecessary pain, suf fering,
or distress to and/or death of an animal...”
 It is important to note that it’s not the behavior
itself that is judged to be cruel or not; it’s whether
it’s “socially unacceptable” or “unnecessary
ANIMAL ABUSE
Animal abuse is:
 The crime of inflicting physical pain, suffering or death on
an animal, usually a tame one, beyond necessity for normal
discipline.
 Can include neglect that is so monstrous (withholding food
and water) that the animal has suffered, died or been put
in imminent danger of death.
WHO ARE THE VICTIMS?
 The majority of repor ted abuse cases are companion animals
 A HSUS study of high -profile cases indicated that 57% involved
intentional cruelty, and 43% involved extreme neglect.
 The study revealed that the most commonly repor ted cruelty of fenses
involved shooting, animal fighting, tor turing, and beating.
 Of neglected animals, 70 %were malnourished, and 30 % suf fered from
star vation.
 Of 1 ,880 cruelty cases repor ted in the media in 2007, 64.5% (1 ,21 2)
involved dogs, 1 8% (337) involved cats, 25 %(470) involved other
animals, and 7% involve hor ses.
 Pit bulls, in par ticular, constitute an increasing percentage of
victimized animals. In 2000 and 2001 , pit bulls were the victims in
13% of repor ted dog abuse cases, while in 2007, pit bulls were the
victims in 25% of repor ted dog abuse cases.
 Livestock abuse cases only come to light during undercover
investigations, so there’s no real way to know how many livestock are
abused beyond the normal conditions of the stock yard and slaughter
house.
WHO ARE THE PERPETRATORS?
Adult and teenage males
commit majority of acts
Adult and teenage males
mostly abuse animals within
the context of family violence
Shooting is most common
method
IS IT ABUSE?
 A neighbor keeps his dog on a cable day and night
in the backyard.
 As long as the dog has food, water, and shelter, this
does not fall within the legal definition of cruelty.
 The horse in the neighboring field stands in the
wind and rain all day.
 As long as the horse has food, water, and a place to
stand up, and can turn around and lie down in an area
not covered in water, this does not fall within the legal
definition of cruelty.
 A neighbor is shooting cats with a pellet gun.
 This is at least a misdemeanor and may be charged as
a felony in some states.
“THE LINK”
 Over the past decade, the link between animal abuse,
child abuse, elder abuse and domestic violence has
become clearer.
 Numerous studies have found violent criminals and
serial killers to be common perpetrators of animal
abuse.
 Since abusers aim to hurt anything victims hold dear,
family pets are also popular targets.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT
 Domestic violence and child maltreatment often co occur in the same family.
 There is a strong correlation between animal abuse,
child abuse, and domestic violence.
 Animal abuse is a red flag for human abuse.
 Violent criminals often share a common history of
brutal parental punishment and cruelty to animals.
 75% of violent of fenders have early records of
animal cruelty.
PETS AND THE FAMILY
 Pets are beaten or killed in order to coerce or
intimidate the victim with the message, “You could
be next.”
 Batterers may coerce children into silence
regarding sexual abuse with threats to kill pets.
 Batterers engage in bestiality or force victims to
engage in bestiality as a form of humiliation.
CHILD ABUSE AND ANIMAL ABUSE
Child Abuse and Neglect is:
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Physical injury
Sexual maltreatment
Emotional maltreatment
Deprivation of necessities under circumstances indicating the child’s
welfare is harmed or threatened
Findings reveal there is a wealth of evidence to suggest
that children are at risk of harm in families where animals
are also abused:
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Strong correlation with family violence.
Harsh parenting styles link with childhood animal cruelty.
Evidence of an association with child sexual abuse and bestiality.
Social learning theor y and empathy.
CHILD ABUSE AND ANIMAL ABUSE
 Currie (2003) Children exposed to domestic violence
were 3 times more likely to be cruel to animals.
 Ascione (1999,2003) Violent forms of childhood
bestiality are highly indicative of childhood sexual
abuse.
 Hackett and Uprichard (2007) Children who abused
animals were 3 times more likely to have witnessed
coercive animal cruelty than others.
 Ascione (2003) Higher rates of cruelty to animals were
found in those suffering most physical abuse (36%).
 DeVinney et al (1983) 88% of families known to child
protection authorities also abused animals.
 Duncan et al (2005) Children who were cruel to animals
were twice more likely to have been either physically or
sexually abused.
CHILD ABUSE AND ANIMAL ABUSE
 Today, “cruelty to animals” is considered by the
American Psychiatric Association to be a symptom
of conduct disorder, which refers to a pattern of
anti-social behavior that can persist into
adulthood.
 Child witnesses to animal abuse are also at greater
risk of becoming abusers themselves.
 However, there are no laws mandating reporting
animal abuse.
CHILD ABUSE AND ANIMAL ABUSE
 On the other hand, children often intervene to protect
their mothers and pets from being battered, and some
children can even allow themselves to be victimized to
save a pet from being harmed or killed.
 The links go both ways —not only are children in
households with violence at more risk of committing
violence themselves, but they are at greater risk of being
harmed if they live in a household in which an adult
harms either another adult or an animal.
KILLERS AND ANIMAL ABUSE
 Verlinden et al (2000) analysis of 10 school shootings,
half of shooters had cruel animal histories.
 Kellert and Felthous (1985) 25% of violent criminal
sample were cruel to animals compared with 6% of non violent criminal sample and 0% of non -criminal sample.
 Ted Bundy mutilated animals as a child.
 Jef frey Dahmer killed neighborhood pets, nailed frogs on
trees and impaled the heads of dogs on sticks.
 Albert DeSalvo, the Boston Strangler, trapped pets in
crates and then shot them with a bow and arrow.
 Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (Columbine High School)
both had histories of animal cruelty.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
 Domestic Violence includes a wide variety of behaviors used
by individuals to exert power and control, through fear and
intimidation, over their intimate partners, former partners, or
family members.
 Domestic Violence or battering includes:
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Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Psychological abuse
Any other tactics employed to reinforce control over the victim
WHY DO BATTERERS THREATEN,
ABUSE, OR KILL ANIMALS?
Power and control
Isolate victim and child
Eliminate competition for attention
Force victim to keep the violence a secret
Submission/Obedience
Perpetuate fear/terror
Prevent independent acts
Punish the victim for leaving
Degrade the victim through forced
involvement
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER
SURVEY ( ASCIONE ET AL. 1997)
 85.4% domestic violence victims and 63% of abused
children reported animal abuse in the home
 83.3% of shelter staf f said animal abuse and domestic
violence coincided
 50% of all violent households that they encountered had
animal abuse
 Animal abuse is commonly reported by both women and
their children in DV shelters
 Yet few shelters ask questions about animal abuse as
women enter the program (27.1%)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SURVEY (FAVOR
AND STRAND 2003)
½ of all women reported
partner threatened to abuse
their pet
46.3% reported actual animal
physical abuse
26.8% postponed leaving
because of it
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SURVEY
(ASCIONE 1998)
 74% owned animals
 71% of the animals were threatened by intimate
partner
 32% of the women said their children had hurt or
killed the family pet
 57% of the animals were physically hurt or killed
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SURVEY
(ASCIONE ET AL. 1997)
Types of animal abuse
physical hitting, kicking, etc
suffocating
poisoning
throwing the pet out of moving cars
nailing the animal to a door
punching
Most women receiving services stated that
they did delay leaving because of their pets
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SURVEY (FLYNN
2000)
46.5% reported animal abuse
73.2% stated animals were source of
emotional support
Of all the pets, more than half were still in
the possession of the perpetrators
 If not, given to family members, friends,
given away to shelters or abandoned
40% of women were still concerned for
their pets welfare
20% women delayed leaving
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PERPETRATOR
SURVEY (CARLISLE ET AL 2004A)
 53% engaged in abuse or neglect of animals
 Of those, 90% engaged in physical abuse, 10%
neglect
 hitting, choking, drowning, shooting, stabbing, throwing
against the wall/down the stairs as among the most
common forms of abuse to their animals
 35% of animals were used as scapegoats
 70% of abusers considered animals as property
 77% of the animal abusers were reported to have had a
neutral relationship with their childhood companion
animal
 50% of them had abused or watched the abuse of their
pet when they were little
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PERPETRATOR
SURVEY (CARLISLE ET AL. 2004B)
 Perpetrators perceptions of their animals
Showed no compassion or love toward
animal
Viewed as property
 Significantly dif ferent outlooks regarding caring for and loving
their animals
Pets as Scapegoats
 29.2% pet abusing homes compared to only 1.6% non-abusers
 Anger and punishment
 56.5% of the abusing groups took their anger out on their pet, and
punished their animal a few times a week
 95% of the non-abusing group proclaimed that their companion
animals were hardly ever punished
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN
(CARLISLE ET AL 2004)
Children of mothers in domestic violence
shelters were 20 times more likely to have
witnessed animal abuse
Violent home equals more likely to abuse in
later childhood
Contribute to psychological maladjustment
Propensity for interpersonal/animal abuse
Violence becomes a norm
88% of homes in which animal abuse was
documented also had child abuse present
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
 Animal abuse is an indicator of current and future violence
 Need for more understanding about the dynamics of animal
abuse in the context of domestic violence and child abuse
 Significance of animals in the lives of battered and abused
women and children is high
 Pet’s role in victim rehabilitation is strong
 Increased Collaboration is needed
 Law enforcement
 Veterinarians
 Animal welfare organizations
 Social services/Mental Health
 Educators
 Domestic Violence Shelters and Advocacy Centers
WHAT’S BEING DONE?
Collaborative Programs
Safe Havens
HSUS First Strike Campaign
ASPCA Awareness Campaigns
AniCare and AniCare Child
SAFE HAVENS
 DV shelters can’t accept pets
 Animal shelters, animal care and animal control
agencies, private organizations have begun to partner
 Provide temporary housing
 Offer life saving alternative to DV victim and pet
 Also provide victims, organizations, and public with
valuable information
 Education and awareness
 Safety planning
TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
 One national program is the National Cruelty Investigation
School, a program of the Law Enforcement Training Institute
at University of Missouri, which trains law enforcement
of ficials in how to conduct cruelty investigations, focusing on
the link between animal cruelty and human violence. Many
local agencies are following suit with their own special units.
 Another program is the HSUS First Strike program which
raises awareness about the connection between animal
cruelty and other violence. First Strike works with local
animal protection, law enforcement and social services
agencies to reduce animal, family and community violence.
First Strike is also working to pass felony -level anti-cruelty
laws around the country.
TREATMENT AND LEGISLATION
 Since 1998, 27 states have passed legislation allowing or, in some
instances, mandating, judges to include psychological treatment in
the sentences of convicted animal abuser s. These legislative
ef for ts have produced a demand for a range of programs dealing
with the problem of animal abuse.
 Primar y prevention involves ef for ts to educate the general public
about the seriousness and impor tance of animal abuse and its
relation to other forms of violence.
 Secondar y prevention programs identify people “at risk” – those
more likely to become abuser s. Children at risk might be those
who do not have adequate super vision in their home.
 Finally, for those who unfor tunately already “rely” on animal abuse
as a way of expressing or dealing with their emotional problems,
therapists and clinical researchers have developed inter ventions to
assess and remediate that poor adjustment.
ANICARE
 The AniCare approach treats children and adults whose problems require
more than parent guidance or education but less than residential treatment.
 AniCare Child includes training in empathy (taking an animal’s point of view)
and self-management techniques (better problem -sol ving skills). Many
children who abuse animals have attachment problems: They may have failed
to develop a secure bond with a parent and may be over -reliant on a
relationship with a companion animal; or they may be taking out the
frustration of their own unmet needs on a companion animal.
 The adult ver sion of AniCare emphasizes helping an individual be
accountable for his or her behavior. Of ten animal abuser s do not admit to
themselves or other s that what they did is wrong. They are not willing to
accept that their behavior is a problem.
 Educating criminal justice per sonnel about available treatment programs
provides the demand; training therapists to work with this population
provides the supply to meet that demand. Together these developments can
reduce both animal abuse and co -occurring violence against humans.