For the past few years, I have been interested in learning about the problems society can face or do face; when it comes to animal cruelty and family violence. Even for a good amount of American families the family pet is loved and cared for. For others, it is a terrible thing to think about; but it happens. For many years, there has been a lot of issues families face when they witness animal cruelty. It is worse in children; whom witnessed the most animal cruelty and violence against one another in their homes. They learn from everything the parents do and may act upon it later on in life.
That is one of the main concerns that animal cruelty and family violence becomes a problem. Usually in this case, the results at the end never come out positive. I have learned so much after studying and researching over the internet, reading books from the library, or asking professionals. Professionals like, veterinarians, veterinarian technicians, animal behaviorist, and animal shelter workers. On a particular website, I found something on The Abuse of Animals and Domestic Violence. It was an article from A National Survey of shelters for women who are battered. Also, who witnessed animal cruelty in their homes before they were battered.
I read the article and found it quit interesting. Here is a part of what I found: A moment later Francine heard Nicky screaminNickys cry was so hard she couldnt talk. Id never heard a child cry like that. I held her in my arms until she calmed down enough to tell me what had happened. Mickey (Francines husband) had warned her that if he found the cat on the porch hed wring its neck. When he caught her with it the second time he took it out of her arms and just broke its neck in his two hands. (McNulty, 1989) You often hear, read, see, or often experience situations like this, to where omestic violence starts; with animal cruelty of some kind.
There are too many of these kinds of situations where people are very silent about. More people need to be more involved with the situations around them; including witnessing animal cruelty. Usually something that has to do with animal cruelty, means that a family or just a child who is in trouble. That may cause problems later on; if nothing is done about it. Not only because of animal welfare, but to the health of the human race; that usually means families or just society in general. Cruelty is a socially unacceptable behavior that intentionally causes nnecessary pain, suffering, or distress to a death of an animal.
The association of animal maltreatment with cases of child physical abuse, the sexual abuse of children, and partner battering or domestic violence. This usually starts off with maltreatment of animals, usually pets, may occur in homes where there is domestic violence. Domestic violence usually, most of the time starts with animals being abused by perpetrators for frighten their partners, as a threat of potential attacks, as a way to feel superior to others, who have no way of fighting back. From what I have researched, these kinds of situations are agreed that nterpersonal violence is the greatest single threat to human civilization.
A lot of problems are caused in family and in the rest of human civilization. This is because of animal cruelty. Whether it is a household pet or other animals roaming outside in neighborhood cities. Pets have been part of American families for years, where almost most of those families with school-age children, have at least one companion animal. These animals are often treated like members of the family. But, if the family is experiencing violence they become targets as well. Usually they are the firsts to experience violence efore the rest of the family.
The family pet is often an important source of comfort and stability to the victims of abuse, particularly children. But abusive family members may threaten, injure, or kill pets. Often, as a way of threatening or controlling others in the family. Many women and children, whom have been housed at shelters, have discussed incidents of pet abuse in the family. Children who have witnessed domestic violence or who have been the victims of physical or sexual abuse have witnessed an animal being murdered in front of them by the abuser. These are very important issues that society needs to be aware of.
It must be remembered that, when animals are being abused, people are at some kind of risk. It goes the other way around as well. So when animal cruelty is seen, it is important that it should be reported right away. For animal abuse is often one of the earliest signs of an individual or a family in trouble. Animal abuse is a serious concern for human health and safety. Most of the time it is women and children who are in trouble. There have been reports on battered women in shelters, who have discussed their boyfriend or husband had engaged in actual maltreatment and killing of an animal in their home.
They sually stay and go through this kind of treatment because these women are scared for their beloved pets. That is what the abuser wants to happen; so none in the outside world knows what is going on in the home. Maybe if more shelters would open up and allowed pets as well; they are victims of these situations. Then, women would get out of these terrible situations a lot sooner than they do. That is up to society to get more involved in these situations. People should report when things happen would be a start. It has to be remembered that animal cruelty is not a harmless venting of emotion in a healthy ndividual, this is a warning sign.
People abuse animals for the same reasons they abuse people. Abusing an animal is a way for a human to find power, joy, and fulfillment through the torture of a victim; they know cannot defend its self. The same thing goes for child abuse, spouse abuse, and rape. This is all done by someone who starts out abusing an animal. They should all be watched out for and pay attention to. There are reasons why people abuse animals are simply; to control the animal or a person. Adults who hurt animals will hurt people. It is sad to see families go for help in bad situations like this.
The reason they dont, is because they are aware that their pet will be hurt if they seek help for themselves. An abuser may make this clear by threatening to injure or kill an animal. When a parent makes an animal yelp and tells his child he will break her pets neck if she tells anyone what has happened. Because of this, the child may either act upon it or keep quiet. Children learn what parents do; to them they will thing wrong is right by living in those situations. This is a heartbreaking outcome for the child, and for society. The adults may feel helpless as the child does.
If they are not already being hurt; they fear they will be seen. They want to be safe, but dont want to leave a pet behind in a dangerous situation. Too often, they risk their own lives and stay in a dangerous situation for the pets sake. Animal abuse is frequently embedded in families scared by domestic violence. Animal cruelty must be taken seriously. Its not only a crime but also a warning of other violence; past, present, or future. It is usually done by a person who feels powerless, unnoticed and under the control of others. This is done to shock, threaten, intimidate, or offend.
Animal cruelty is done the most during child abuse. It is also rarely seen at uch an early stage. Children learn everything that the parent does. We can teach empathy, or we can encourage cruelty. In this case, a child witnessed to animal cruelty as well as abuse to them, is encouraged to cruelty rather than empathy. The classic triad is what children are at when they practice animal cruelty. A loving, supportive environment takes the child right out of the triad. The abuse of animals, especially chronic, is a gateway indication. No matter where it is committed the child learns from it.
Most caseworkers could tell you about cases in which a child abuser also hurt, or killed the victims pet. Children will learn to abuse animals; either as a sign that they are getting hurt by someone else or a cry for help. If nothing is done, the child will eventually hurt people. That would be because they werent taught from right and wrong. If children are taught to abuse animals, that is what they will do. Like for instance, a recent incident of road rage in California involving a Bichon Frise; which is a small dog, was thrown into traffic by an irate motorist.
Another, a thirteen-year old Saskatoon girl charged in connection with a series of cat mutilations attracted attention throughout North America. There are many factors that lead to incidents like this. Many children, who witnessed animal cruelty in their families, will mimic what they see and act out what they see. For example, thirty-two percent of the twenty- two women with children talk about children hurting or killing animals. The prevalence of pet abuse by children in these families was also disturbingly common.
Disturbed children kill animals to rehearse their own suicide, or to pre-empt an abusive parent from killing the pet. When perpetrated by children, animal abuse can represent a dangerous inability for a child to empathize with others. Sometimes or most of the time, when witnessed by children, animal maltreatment may be part of a pattern that sets a violent course which may be life long. For example, a writer, Margaret Mead, has written, One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and to get away with it.
This is true because children who are capable of animal cruelty, meaning; killing an animal, is capable of committing bigger crimes. That would be because they werent taught from the beginning or punished for the first crime they did. Witnessing parent and pet abuse may compromise childrens sychological adjustments, increase their propensity for interpersonal violence, and make childrens cruelty to animals more likely to emerge as a symptom of their distress. As a result some abused children may grow up to become abusive adults; if they dont get help in time.
Children who have witnessed domestic violence or who have been the victims of physical or sexual abuse, may also become animal abusers themselves; imitating the violence they have seen or experienced. Because of issues like this are not stopped from the beginning, worse things can happen. When a child mistreats an animal, will grow up o be insensitive towards other human beings; not just animals. For example, back in 1999, we remembered the horrific case of school violence, when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold of Littleton, Colorado killed fourteen of their classmates and one teacher at Columbine High School.
In a recent report, both of the boys had mentioned they had mutilated animals and expressed interest in occult rituals. The report had also said that nineteen ninety-eight had also been a year for notorious crimes committed by young people with prior histories of animal abuse. The names of those children were; Kip Kinkel, who decapitated cats, issected live squirrels and blew up cows. Andrew Golden, shot dogs before he turned his guns on his classmates. Luke Woodham, beat and burned his own dog, Sparkle. Describing his dogs painful and tortured death as a thing of pure beauty. Michael Corneal, threw a cat into a bonfire.
All of these children were animal abusers and werent punished at that point. Only until they started to kill people; then society saw that they needed help. When the truth is they needed help when these children might have been brought up in messed up households. Consisting of domestic violence, but with a start of nimal abuse. They were to have empathy towards all living things; including animals and other citizens around them. As a result, they have caused bigger crimes; because bigger criminals or bigger murderers. Animal abusers take place in a complex net of disturbed family relations.
For example, animal abuse is found in families where there is child abuse and battered women as well. Children in these disturbed families, who witnessed the abuse of family companion pets, are more likely to abuse animals. Also children who commit animal cruelty is more likely to engage in criminal behavior as adults. Although, it isnt just youthful offenders who move from animal abuse to violence toward humans. For example, in a research, Russell Western Jr. , the man who was awaiting trial for shooting two police officers; shot his fathers cats before his assault.
There are more criminal adults who have started off murdering animals. Another example is a compelling array of serial killers and mass murderers; who had committed acts of animal abuse in their childhoods that often were noticed by neighbors. Names of some of these serial killers are: Mass-murdered and cannibal, Jeffrey Dahmer, killed neighbors pets and impaled a dogs head on a stick. Patrick Sherril, who murdered fourteen co-workers and then killed himself, stole pets then tied them up and allowed his own dog to mutilate them. David Berkowitz, the so-called Son-of-Sam, shot his neighbors Labrador retriever.
Albert DeSalvo, the Boston Strangler, shot arrows into boxes of trapped cats and dogs. Brenda Spencer, who fired fourty shots into a crowd of children, murdering 2, wounding 9 had a history of setting the tails of neighborhood cats and dogs. Carol Edmund Cole, who murdered thirty-five people, admitted his first violent act was strangling a puppy. Richard Allen Davis, kidnapper and murderer, doused cats with asoline and set them on fire. Those were examples of infamous serial killers who had started off killing animals; as children and then into bigger murderers.
That was because when they were young, they werent stopped right away. Neighbors nearby saw everything but never said anything. They could have been children who were abused or raped as young children and they never knew how to care. They acted out what they thought was the right thing to do; or out of anger. Taking out on an animal is easy at first because they thought that they could get away with it; and they did. At the end, they ended up killing people in society. These are all reasons why animal abuse is a problem in society. I think a major one.
The cons of all this, is that a lot of this is ignored in society. Also, too many people are killed by these incidents; animals as well. Animals are a part of society in almost everything humans do. Children respond better to animals which is probably a reason why, when they are taught wrong, they abuse animals. Animals wont always fight back. If more people would report what they see, what they think they might see. They should also get involve in helping more shelters; whether it is a human or animal shelter. Then you have the shelters who hold individuals from abused homes.
But most of them dont allow the families in need to bring their pets along. The pet should be allowed to go with the abused individuals; they are victims as well. Especially the children who need to get out of bad homes and have a pet that is in trouble; should be taken out together. That way the child and the pet are in a better environment; but also so that the child learns that what was happening to the animal was wrong too. As far as pros go, I can think of any pros of all of this. Only can hope for a better future and that their will be more involvement from society.
