Information provided by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (www.peta.org)

Animal Cruelty & Family Violence

Violent acts toward animals have long been recognized as indicators of a dangerous psychopathy that does not confine itself to animals. “Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives,” wrote humanitarian Dr. Albert Schweitzer. “Murderers ... very often start out by killing and torturing animals as kids,” according to Robert K. Ressler, who developed profiles of serial killers for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Studies have now convinced sociologists, lawmakers, and the courts that acts of cruelty toward animals deserve our attention. They can be the first sign of a violent pathology that includes human victims.

Animal abuse is not just the result of a minor personality flaw in the abuser but rather a symptom of a deep mental disturbance which stems from a lack of compassion or empathy for the victim. This mentality, in which the victim is seen as an object with no feeling or value, has been termed “objectification”, and is usually learned during childhood by repeatedly observing violence toward the helpless.  Sometimes, the child himself may be the victim of objectification, or the message may be more subtle through the cruel treatment of a family pet.  As a result, animals are often the early targets of children as they begin to show this learned objectification; ironically,  these animals offer unconditional love and acceptance. Research in psychology and criminology shows that people who commit acts of cruelty toward animals don’t stop there; many of them move on to their fellow humans. 

The FBI has found that a history of cruelty to animals is one of the traits that regularly appear in its computer records of serial rapists and murderers, and the standard diagnostic and treatment manual for psychiatric and emotional disorders lists cruelty to animals as a diagnostic criterion for conduct disorders.

A study conducted by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts SPCA found that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. The majority of inmates scheduled to be executed for murder at California’s San Quentin penitentiary “practiced” their crimes on animals, according to the warden.

A Long Road of Violence

All too often, animal cruelty is viewed as a childhood prank and chalked up to the old adage “boys will be boys.” But it is foolhardy to ignore statistics that show that kids who hurt animals may be on a dangerous path that will only get worse if not corrected. Studies have shown that violent and aggressive criminals are more likely to have abused animals as children than criminals considered non-aggressive.

A 1999 Canadian study of 63 suspects who were charged with animal cruelty—ranging from severe animal neglect to intentional killing—found that 78 percent of them had also been charged with offenses involving violence, or the threat of violence, against people. A 1997 study revealed that 46 percent of criminals convicted of sexual homicide had previously committed acts of cruelty toward animals. A survey of psychiatric patients who had repeatedly tortured dogs and cats found that all of them had high levels of aggression toward people as well. All the kids involved in the devastating school shootings in recent years first “practiced” on animals.

What can you do?

When Animal Cruelty Occurs in Your City, Show Your Community That It’s Unacceptable and a Danger to Us All! Write letters to the editor of local newspapers and to the prosecutor handling the case. Write your legislators to demand stronger animal protection laws. Educate the community about the link between animal abuse and violence toward humans.

Click here to visit PeTA's web page for specific information, how to contact your local prosecutors and legislators, and order materials to help you educate those around you.

Another great resource

Pet-Abuse.com is another excellent resource. It contains valuable information about the link between animals abuse and violence toward humans, as well as statistics, and a searchable database to find animal abusers all over the country and read updates about their cases.

Click here to see a list of cruelty connection cases (animal abusers who have also been charged with violence toward humans).