The Link Between Animal Cruelty and Human Violence
The link between animal cruelty and human violence came under the spotlight some 35 years ago when the FBI in the USA discovered that serial killers often tortured and killed animals before ‘ progressing’ to murdering humans.
FBI Special Agent, Alan Brantley explained: “ You can look at cruelty to animals and cruelty to humans as a continuum. Animal cruelty is not a harmless venting of emotion in a healthy individual; it is a warning sign that this individual is not mentally healthy and needs some sort of intervention.
Animals and Domestic Abuse
More recently, a great deal of attention has been given to the role of animal cruelty in family violence, including child abuse. Research in the USA and UK shows that over 80% of domestic violence and child abuse cases took place in families where there was also abuse against a family pet.
Rosemary Cox, Manager of Sara Baartman Shelter for women and Children explains: When a man starts abusing the animals in the household, it is warning sign for the wife. Her turn will come and the children are also at risk…. Very often, a man will use an animal as a weapon. If he sees that his wife loves her dog, for instance, he will hurt it in order to hurt her. The trauma for the wife is more severe than if he had simply beaten her up.
Professor Sean Kaliski, head of forensic psychiatry at Valkenberg Hospital, Cape Town, says: “ Its about desensitization. The link is there. Someone who is cruel and violent to animals will also be so to people. We need to sensitize a desensitized nation and the younger we start the better.
PW Roux, Clinical Psychologist who has spent six years working with criminal rehabilitation, says:” In our education system there is an emphasis on numeracy and literacy but how are children going to learn if they are not emotionally cared for. If you can teach children to care for other living beings, you can engender in them the need to look after themselves and other people.
Superintendent Charlene Chandler, SAPS: Area West Metropole, Cape Town, says: “ When it comes to domestic violence and child abuse, the police need to recognize that animals often give us the first visible signs that something is wrong. We now have to sensitize our police on the ground at grassroots level to watch out for animal abuse. In stopping this, we may well prevent potential crimes against women and children as well.”
Phil Arkow, Chairman of the Animal Abuse and Family Violence Prevention Project at the Latham Foundation, USA, says: “It is only when people in leadership positions recognize that animal abuse has adverse effects on humans, that animal maltreatment will become culturally unacceptable and real, lasting changes will be made. All too often animals are the first victims and what should be seen as a red flag or warning marker, is readily dismissed by parents and teachers as ‘oh well, boys will be boys.’ Or it’s only a rabbit, what’s the big deal?”