No abstract

Cruelty toward companion animals is a well-documented, coercive tactic used by abusive partners to intimidate and control their intimate partners. Experiences of co-occurring violence are common for children living in families with intimate partner violence (IPV) and surveys show that more than half are also exposed to abuse of their pets. Given children’s relationships with their pets, witnessing such abuse may be traumatic for them. Yet little is known about the prevalence and significance of this issue for children. The present study examines the experiences of children in families with co-occurring pet abuse and IPV. Using qualitative methods, 58 children ages 7-12 who were exposed to IPV were asked to describe their experiences of threats to and harm of their companion animals. Following the interviews, template analysis was employed to systematically develop codes and themes. Coding reliability was assessed using Randolph's free-marginal multirater kappa (kfree = .90). Five themes emerged from the qualitative data, the most common being children’s exposure to pet abuse as a power and control tactic against their mother in the context of IPV. Other themes were animal maltreatment to discipline or punish the pet, animal cruelty by a sibling, children intervening to prevent pet abuse, and children intervening to protect the pet during a violent episode. Results indicate that children’s experiences of pet abuse are multifaceted, potentially traumatic, and may involve multiple family members with diverse motives.

This article contributes to the knowledge base of neighborhood intervention and research by reviewing the myriad ways the construct neighborhood is operationalized. The interdisciplinary review presents a critical examination of each measurement genre from quantitative to qualitative. The discussion of neighborhood measures includes (a) census and other administrative data, (b) windshield surveys, (c) rating scales, (d) structured/unstructured interviews (including ethnographies), (e) residents' written descriptions, (f) photographs, (g) drawings, and (h) mixed method constructions. When pertinent, the role of children's voices in these measures is discussed. In addition, the conceptual nature of neighborhood is examined from the perspective of environment and place. This environment-place duality is presented as a framework for choosing the type of measure one plans to use for research or practice. Conclusions suggest that research and practice are enhanced by building bridges between measures representing environment and measures representing place. Such bridges offer opportunities to develop interventions that are viable for creating lasting change.

This study explores the intersection of intimate partner violence (IPV) and animal cruelty in an ethnically diverse sample of 103 pet-owning IPV survivors recruited from community-based domestic violence programs. Template analysis revealed five themes: (a) Animal Maltreatment by Partner as a Tactic of Coercive Power and Control, (b) Animal Maltreatment by Partner as Discipline or Punishment of Pet, (c) Animal Maltreatment by Children, (d) Emotional and Psychological Impact of Animal Maltreatment Exposure, and (e) Pets as an Obstacle to Effective Safety Planning. Results demonstrate the potential impact of animal maltreatment exposure on women and child IPV survivors’ health and safety.