People and Animals, Kindness and Cruelty: Research Directions and Policy Implications

Abstract

This article addresses the challenges of defining and assessing animal abuse, the relation between animal abuse and childhood mental health, the extensive research on animal abuse and intimate partner violence, and the implication of these empirical findings for programs to enhance human and animal welfare. Highlighted are recent developments and advances in research and policy issues on animal abuse. The reader is directed to existing reviews of research and areas of focus on the expanding horizon of empirical analyses and programmatic innovations addressing animal abuse. Following a discussion of forensic and veterinary issues related to animal abuse, we discuss policy issues including how the status of animals as human companions at times may place animals at risk. We also review developments in the field of human-animal relations and apply the primary-secondary-tertiary prevention public health model to prevention and treatment of animal abuse. We close with a description of community networks addressing animal abuse, interagency collaborations, and new developments in animal-related law.

Examining the links between animal abuse and human violence

“…There is a need for better data and samples. This first requires the development of a sound conceptual definition of animal abuse that can go on to serve as the basis for the construction of valid and reliable measures (see Ascione and Shapiro [6] and Flynn [24] for a fuller discussion of these issues). Such progress would also help to bring about greater consistency in the empirical research, which would provide for more meaningful comparisons between, and conclusions from, different studies.…”

Factors Affecting Students’ Attitudes Toward Toads

“…For future studies, there is a possibility that through such questionnaires, researchers can find such students, and then conduct additional interviews with them to assess their attitudes and even actions in more detail. Such students may not show such aggressive tendencies only toward animals, but also toward people (in Ascione and Shapiro, 2009). …”

“…Outliers explained in a light to animal welfare Ascione and Shapiro (2009) define animal abuse as non-accidental, socially unacceptable behavior that causes pain, suffering or distress to and/or the death of an animal. It can be seen from Figures 1-5 that some students (ratings) are placed as outliers on Ecologistic and Moralistic attitudinal dimensions.…”

A First Look at Harm Toward Animals by Bahamians in Childhood

“…In particular, do children who live in violent homes exhibit a similar level of harm towards animals as those who do not? Ascione and Shapiro (2009) list a range of survey instruments developed in recent years to assess animal cruelty.…”

“…Despite the expanding evidence which typically supports the idea of an association between harm of animals and harm of people, the research methods used remain problematical, as they often depend upon selfreporting and may not include all the issues which have an impact on the human or animal violence (Arluke, 2007;Ascione & Shapiro, 2009). Patterson-Kane and Piper (2009) caution researchers about making too much of linkages as this may fail to indicate that multiple factors contribute to harmful behaviours.…”