Talking with children about animal abuse

From No More Homeless Pets Forum 2/11/05
Articles archived at http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/weeklyforum/forumarchives.cfm

Question from Jean:
It seems like most of the time that children abuse animals, they do it without letting any adults know about it. From what I read, it also seems to be somewhat addictive. Both statements could also be made about drugs and alcohol. Do we approach kids the same way to talk about animal abuse as substance abuse? How will we know that we need to address helping someone not to abuse animals if we don't know they are doing it?

Response from Alison Gianotto:
Lots of great points in this question! Its true that many children abuse animals without letting adults know about it - which is exactly why we should not limit ourselves to talking with other adults. Children will often tell their friends about what they have done, which means that lines of communication have to be established to bridge that gap. School counselors can be extremely effective in this capacity, since children sometimes confess things to counselors that they will not tell their own parents. We have encountered many cases where it was discovered that the child had abused animals because they told their friend, and the friend told their guidance counselor. Guidance counselors and teachers are in a position to be incredibly effective to children, yet they remain a resource that is not tapped into enough. Many guidance counselors receive no training on how to handle reports of animal cruelty, and many have never been taught about the connections between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence. This seems tragic, since a child who is abusing animals may well be doing so to vent their frustration and anger that stems from violence in their home. Parents should take the time to meet with their child's teachers, coaches and counselors, and make it clear that they invite dialogue.

Parents also need to make sure that they have open relationships with their children's friends, and their friends' parents. Sometimes the friend or classmate of a child who has abused animals may tell their parents, often because they themselves feel that what their friend did was wrong and they are not sure how to handle it. You don't have to be best buddies with the parents, but at least establish communication with them and be sure to let them know that your door is always open if there is anything they wish to discuss.

I am a firm believer that it truly does take a village to raise a child, and the more involved parents can be with the people in their children's lives, the more informed they will be about potential problems.

I don't know that I would classify the continuation and escalation of animal abuse as an addiction, per se. Animal cruelty is usually an indicator of something else happening in the child's life. The abuse continues because of the trouble in the child's life continues. People drink and do drugs to feel better and to escape, and animal cruelty often fills a similar role in a child's life. It may help clarify if we highlight the reasons why people abuse animals.

While the exact reasons for intentional animal cruelty may vary, nine typologies have been identified by Kellert and Felthous (1895, 1122-1124).
- to control an animal
- to retaliate against an animal
- to retaliate against another person
- to satisfy a prejudice against a species or breed
- to express anger through an animal
- to enhance one's own aggressiveness
- to shock people for amusement
- to displace hostility from a person to an animal
- to perform non-specific sadism
Reference: Kellert, S.R. and A.R. Felthous. 1895. Childhood cruelty to animals among criminals and non-criminals. Human Relations 38:1113-29.

In many of these typologies, we see recurring themes: retaliation, control, shock, frustration and anger. Children in unstable or violent homes go through all of these emotions and then some, and animals are an easy target. Additionally, children who are bullied at school may seek an outlet for their frustration. If you discover that your child is abusing animals, it is important that you attempt to seek the source of these feelings.

With regard to how to speak to your children about animal abuse, approaching it the same way you approach substance abuse is a good way to go. If the child has been raised around animals and has been taught to love and respect them, chances are your conversation would not have to be a long one. Children tend to be pre-disposed towards loving animals, so if they have had the benefit of a home environment where that love has been nurtured and encouraged, they will often make it clear that they know that animal abuse is wrong. Be sure to tell them that they should not be afraid to tell a trusted grown-up if they witness animal abuse.

There are suggestions for ways to get children involved with animals to encourage compassion located here:
http://www.pet-abuse.com/prevent/children.php

And a wonderful article by the ASPCA which discusses different ages and approaches for talking to your children about animal cruelty can be found here:
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=kids

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Feb. 11, 2005