Family Context and Externalizing Correlates of Childhood Animal Cruelty in Adjudicated Delinquents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether childhood animal cruelty is primarily a feature of family context or of externalizing behavior. Twenty measures of family context and proactive (fearlessness) and reactive (disinhibition) externalizing behavior were correlated with the retrospective accounts of childhood animal cruelty provided by 1,354 adjudicated delinquents. A cross-sectional analysis revealed that all 20 family context, proactive externalizing, and reactive externalizing variables correlated significantly with animal cruelty. Prospective analyses showed that when the animal cruelty variable was included in a regression equation with the 10 family context variables (parental arguing and fighting, parental drug use, parental hostility, and parental knowledge and monitoring of offspring behavior) or in a regression equation with the five reactive externalizing variables (interpersonal hostility, secondary psychopathy, weak impulse control, weak suppression of aggression, and short time horizon), it continued to predict future violent and income (property + drug) offending. The animal cruelty variable no longer predicted offending, however, when included in a regression equation with the five proactive externalizing variables (early onset behavioral problems, primary psychopathy, moral disengagement, positive outcome expectancies for crime, and lack of consideration for others). These findings suggest that while animal cruelty correlates with a wide range of family context and externalizing variables, it may serve as a marker of violent and nonviolent offending by virtue of its position on the proactive subdimension of the externalizing spectrum.

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

“…Animal cruelty has also been associated with compromised mental health, psychopathology and psychiatric disorders (Ascione, 1993;Gleyzer, Felthous & Holzer, 2002), is often observed within a broader pattern of delinquent and antisocial behaviours (Walters & Noon, 2015) and may be a significant warning sign for antisocial behaviour (The International Classification of Diseases, World Health Organisation, 2004) and/or Conduct Disorder (American Psychological Association, 2013).…”

“…Intentional animal cruelty, on the other hand, may be symptomatic of serious underlying psychological difficulties which may need to be addressed through more targeted intervention. Intentional animal cruelty is more often observed in older children and adolescents where the cruelty may be just one of many behaviours within a broader pattern of delinquent and antisocial behaviour (Walters & Noon, 2015). Older children and adolescents may likely be cruel to an animal through social pressures such as peer reinforcement or youth gang membership (Ascione, 1999) but this is not always the case.…”

Animal maltreatment: Implications for behavioral science professionals

“…Using a sample of adult male sex offenders, Walters () found animal cruelty may serve as a marker for fearlessness and callous–unemotional traits. According to Walters and Noon (), animal cruelty may be thought of as a predictor of future criminality by virtue of its association with manipulativeness, hostility, and instrumental criminality and premeditated violence.…”

Psychological Risk Factors for Childhood Nonhuman Animal Cruelty

“…Children who fall into this category may suffer from personality, conduct, or other psychiatric disorders but may not yet have had a professional diagnosis (animal cruelty is part of the diagnostic criteria for Conduct Disorder; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The third category, delinquent animal abuse, applies to adolescents where animal cruelty may be part of a broader pattern of delinquent and antisocial behavior (Walters & Noon, 2015). Other factors associated with childhood animal cruelty include peer reinforcement, behavior imitation, mood enhancement, sexual gratification, forced animal abuse, attachment to animals, phobias of particular animals, abusive experiences and post-traumatic play, selfinjury, rehearsal for interpersonal violence, and participating in animal abuse as a vehicle for emotional abuse (Ascione et al, 1997).…”