The Link Between Domestic Violence and Abuse and Animal Cruelty in the Intimate Relationships of People of Diverse Genders and/or Sexualities: A Binational Study

Abstract

Over the past three decades, a growing body of research has focused on experiences of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) among people of diverse genders and/or sexualities. Missing, however, has been a focus on what is known as "the link" between DVA and animal cruelty with regard to people of diverse genders and/or sexualities. The present article reports on a study of 503 people living in either Australia or the United Kingdom, who reported on both their intimate human relationships and their relationships with animals, including relationships that were abusive. In terms of "the link," a fifth of respondents who had experienced violence or abuse also reported that animal cruelty had been perpetuated by the violent or abusive partner. Statistical interactions were found between having witnessed animal cruelty perpetrated by a partner, gender and sexuality, and both psychological distress and social connectedness. Female participants who had witnessed animal cruelty reported greater psychological distress and lower levels of social support, and both lesbian and bisexual participants who had witnessed animal cruelty reported lower levels of social support. The article concludes by considering the implications of these findings for future research and service provision.

People of Diverse Genders and/or Sexualities Caring For and Protecting Animal Companions in the Context of Domestic Violence

“…Of the 503 participants, 258 lived in Australia and 244 lived in the United Kingdom. In analyses of the quantitative data (Riggs, Taylor, Fraser, Donovan, Signal, 2018), no statistically significant differences were found between the two countries. Hence, for the purposes of the present article, they are treated as one sample.…”

‘Being together really helped’: Australian transgender and non-binary people and their animal companions living through violence and marginalisation

“…Despite previous research focusing almost solely on the link between human-directed and animal-directed violence in the context of heterosexual, cisgender relationships, some research does suggest both that 'The Link' is evident in TNB people's relationships, and that animal companions can play a significant role in TNB people's coping with DVA. For example, we have found that experiencing close relationships with animal companions to a degree mitigates experiences of intimate partner DVA by helping to foster a greater sense of broader community connection and thus reducing psychological distress, and that this is especially true for TNB people (Riggs et al, 2018(Riggs et al, , 2019. Other findings (Taylor et al, 2018) suggest that TNB people's experiences of family-based DVA may be offset by a desire to protect animals from harm, giving some people the strength to leave violent or abusive family situations.…”

“…Our findings echo this, with participants being clear that animals offered them non-judgemental companionship that was sometimes life-saving in its nature, but also demonstrate that positive relationships with animal companions also need to be weighed against the risk of animals being exposed to human-human violence, or having violence or abuse directed towards them. Again, while this is not unique to TNB people's relationships with animal companions (see, for example, Fitzgerald et al, 2019;Riggs et al, 2018Riggs et al, , 2019, the additional exclusion, marginalisation, harassment and violence faced by many TNB people can mean that animal companionship takes on particular significance and can place animal companions at risk of violence themselves (Taylor et al, 2018).…”

Animals in Disaster Social Work: An Intersectional Green Perspective Inclusive of Species

“… Some people may believe that it is a stretch to attribute personhood to animals. But is it such a stretch to claim personhood for living animals given corporations have a long history of being granted personhood, and they are entirely devoid of sentience?… Unlike animals, who can experience emotions, conscious thought and most importantly can suffer bodily pain, corporations are abstracted entities deliberately extracted from their ‘owners’ for legal purposes ( Riggs et al , 2021b ). …”