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Exploring the Links Between Animal Abuse and Family Violence
By Sue McIntosh
Few people deny the bond which can exist between a person
and an animal, and the positive impact this relationship can
have upon that person’s physical and emotional well-being.
Unfortunately, the
human-animal bond also has a darker side, as intimate partner
abuse, child abuse and animal abuse often co-occur. Further,
a child’s violence towards animals often indicates future
violence toward people.
Given these links,
many human and animal welfare organizations work together
to detect and prevent violence and abuse. However, Albertan
organizations lacked local data regarding the extent of these
connections to support and guide their initiatives. Thus,
with support and guidance from Leslie Tutty of RESOLVE, Gonzaga
University, the Calgary Humane Society, the YWCA Family Violence
Prevention Centre and Sheriff King Home, and the Brenda Strafford
Centre for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, the researcher
initiated a research study to collect the required data.
Through a survey process,
100 women entering two Calgary women’s shelters, Sheriff King
and Brenda Strafford, provided information about the nature
and extent of animal abuse in their homes and in their abuser’s
childhood.
Of the 65 women who reported owning pets, 25% delayed entering
the shelter due to concern for their pet’s safety and 56%
stated the abuser either threatened, hurt and/or killed a
pet. Of the 60 respondents with both children and pets, 27%
stated their children had been overly rough, had hurt and/or
killed a pet. And over 20% of respondents were aware that
their partner had abused animals as a child. One respondent
reported that her partner shot the family dog in plain view
of their four year old son. She later notes that her son shows
similar traits and has total disregard towards life, even
humans." Another respondent stated: "(When) he killed
a cat, he told me it was like an electric charge going through
his body...".
These results are
consistent with prior research in the US and Ontario, further
confirming that animal abuse and family violence co-exist,
with implications regarding the dynamics of animal abuse within
family violence situations, and the seriousness of children
abusing animals. Looking forward, this research provides a
foundation for Alberta human service and animal welfare organizations
to collaborate in detecting and preventing violence and abuse.
Sue McIntosh, MA,
CCC is a counsellor with a private practice in Animal Assisted
Therapy and Equine Facilitated Counselling. Sue partners with
a number of Alberta organizations on programs and research
exploring various aspects of the human-animal bond. You can
reach Sue at (403) 637-2053 or by e-mail at [email protected].
This article is reprinted
with permission of the author from RESOLVE News, Volume 3,
#3.
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