Animal Abuse as a Warning Sign of School Massacres

Abstract

Although animal cruelty is often described as a warning sign of future human violence, particularly in the prediction of multiple homicides, prior studies reveal mixed support for this notion and lack conceptual clarity in the measurement of such cruelty. This study investigates the quantity and quality of cruelty present in a sample of 23 perpetrators of school massacres from 1988 to 2012. Findings indicate that 43% of the perpetrators commit animal cruelty before schoolyard massacres and that the cruelty is usually directed against anthropomorphized species (dogs and cats) in an up-close manner. The implications of these findings for reducing false positive cases of cruelty are discussed.

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

“…As we prepared this article, the USA experienced another horrific school shooting that took place in Parkland, FL (“At least 17 dead in Florida school shooting, law enforcement says”, https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/14/us/florida-high-school-shooting/index.html). Reviews of the AA backgrounds of school shooters rarely include officially documented reports of such behavior; most often rely on media coverage and anecdotal statements of peers (Arluke & Madfis, ). It is almost pro forma to assume that mass and serial killers have a history of AA.…”

“…It is almost pro forma to assume that mass and serial killers have a history of AA. However, Arluke and Madfis () reported that, among 23 perpetrators of school shootings between 1998 and 2012, the majority (57%) had no history of AA. Indeed, a recent meta‐analysis (Patterson‐Kane, ) of studies examining AA among violent offenders noted a relatively weak link between AA and human‐directed violence, as the majority of those who mistreat animals do not go on to perpetrate violent acts against humans.…”

The predictive ability of childhood animal cruelty methods for later interpersonal crimes

“…The literature concerning mass and serial murderers has also found a connection between childhood animal cruelty and later interpersonal violence, again noting the potential red flags for such early behaviors (Arluke & Madfis, ; Ressler, Burgess, Hartman, Douglas, & McCormack, ; Verlinden, ; Wright & Hensley, ). Additionally, other studies have found such a link by using prison populations to ascertain whether or not inmates in those institutions who retrospectively reported committing childhood animal abuse went on to engage in violence against humans (Hensley, Tallichet, & Dutkiewicz, ; Merz‐Perez & Heide, ; Merz‐Perez, Heide, & Silverman, ; Tallichet & Hensley, ).…”

Friendliness to Animals and Verbal Aggressiveness to People: Using Prison Inmates Education Networks as an Illustration

“…It has already been supported that there is a positive relation between animal cruelty and violence (from homicide to family violence) [33] [34] [35] [36] [37]. Dominant hypotheses on this issue are that overflowing aggressiveness or hatred against human beings is supposed to occur on animals or that the same violence which is directed against human beings of society in general, is also directed against animals.…”