A Template Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Experiences of Animal Maltreatment: Implications for Safety Planning and Intervention

Abstract

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.

Concomitant Exposure to Animal Maltreatment and Socioemotional Adjustment among Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: a Mixed Methods Study

“…Findings from recent qualitative studies (e.g., Collins et al 2017;McDonald et al 2015McDonald et al , 2017 suggest that the type of maltreatment that children are exposed to, the motivations they attribute to the violence, and their emotional and behavioral reactions to AM, may have important implications for understanding the link between AM exposure and children's socioemotional adjustment within the context of violent families. In particular, recent studies of pet-owning women and children recruited from community-based IPV services reported that children are often directly exposed to AM perpetrated by a caregiver/ parent that is aimed to: (a) coerce and force the compliance of an intimate partner (McDonald et al 2015(McDonald et al , 2017, (b) punish the pet for misbehavior (McDonald et al 2015(McDonald et al , 2017, and/or (c) coerce or punish the child (McDonald et al 2017).…”

Children’s attitudes towards animal cruelty: Exploration of predictors and socio-demographic variations

“…Although studies into animal cruelty have increased over the years, a drawback is that the majority of studies have focused on intentional animal cruelty and on clinical or special populations, adult populations, relying heavily on retrospective reports of childhood animal cruelty (e.g., Parfitt & Alleyne, 2016). Studies have focused on the links between cruelty and violence (e.g., Collins et al, 2018;Monsalve, Ferreira & Garcia, 2017), and associations between cruelty and behavioural problems (e.g., Baglivio et al, 2017), and links with adverse childhood experiences (Browne, Hensley & McGuffee, 2017). Most studies have not directly focused on childhood cruelty towards animals (e.g., Levitt, Hoffer & Loper, 2016;Newberry, 2017aNewberry, , 2017bSanders & Henry, 2017;Walters, 2017).…”

The relations among animal abuse, psychological disorders, and crime: Implications for forensic assessment

“…The AARAT could also prove valuable to professionals who provide support for IPV survivors struggling to decide whether to stay with or leave an abuser (Collins et al, ; Hageman et al, ). Risk assessment for future AA could be critical information for programs providing shelter for the pets of IPV survivors (Ascione, ).…”