Mary Migliaro, M.Ed. Mission possible consulting Woodstock, Georgia The Correlation Between Animal Abuse, Child Abuse, and Domestic Violence Mary Migliaro, M.Ed. Mission possible consulting Woodstock, Georgia

Immanuel Kant “He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.”

There is ample evidence to suggest that individuals who engage in acts of animal violence have a greater probability of committing acts of violence against people as compared to individuals who have no history of committing acts of violence against animals. (Ritter, 1996; Arkow, 1995; Lockwood and Hodge, 1986)

Video #1 - Overview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ymQ61dXswA&list=PLGzul7Pi7BG8x7Cy833M9CtoVmpW9mRBs&index=2

Interconnectedness of Types of Abuse

General Overview of Stats More than 80 percent of family members being treated for child abuse also had abused animals. In two-thirds of these cases, an abusive parent had killed or injured a pet. In one-third of the cases, a child victim continued the cycle of violence by abusing a pet. National and state studies have established that from 54 to 71 percent of women seeking shelter from abuse reported that their partners had threatened, injured or killed one or more family pets. The FBI sees animal cruelty as a predictor of violence against people and considers past animal abuse when profiling serial killers. A 1997 study….found that 70 percent of animal abusers had committed at least one other crime. Almost 40 percent had committed violent crimes against people.

Case in Point Kip Kinkel – 15 years old, Springfield, Oregon 1998 Unleashed a hail of bullets that killed two classmates and wounded 22 others. He had a history of animal abuse that included decapitating cats, dissecting live squirrels and blowing up cows. One classmate recounted that Kinkel would go into graphic detail about cutting open the animals with hunting knives.

Case in Point Michael Carneal – 14 years old, Paducah, Kentucky 1997 He shot three classmates to death and wounded five others during a prayer meeting held at his high school. He had talked about throwing a cat into a bonfire.

Case in Point Luke Woodham – 16 years old, Pearle, Mississippi 1997 Convicted of killing two students and wounding seven in the lobby of his high school. He had killed his mother in their home before going to the school. He wrote in his personal journal how he beat, burned and tortured his own dog Sparkle. Luke described the animal’s painful death as a thing of “true beauty.”

Video #2 Child abusing dog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzPYuu3UJao

Child & Adolescent Motivations for Animal Abuse Curiosity or exploration Peer pressure Mood enhancement Sexual gratification Animal phobias Posttraumatic play Imitation Rehearsal for interpersonal violence

Single Anecdotal Case Histories Jeffrey Dahmer (aka The Milwaukee Cannibal) killed neighbors’ pets, staked cats to trees and impaled frog and dog heads on sticks. He later raped, murdered, and dismembered 17 men and boys from 1978-99. David Berkowitz (aka Son of Sam) shot his neighbor’s Labrador retriever. He later killed six people in New York in 1976-77. Albert DeSalvo (aka The Boston Strangler) trapped dogs and cats in orange crates and shot arrows through the boxes. He went on to murder 13 women in the Boston area between 1962-64. Carroll Edward Cole, executed in 1985 for murdering 35 people, admitted that his first violent act was strangling a pet.

Nine Motivations for Cruelty to Animals Kellert and Felthouse-1985 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 aggression 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 nonspecific sadism

Characteristics of Child Abusers Low self-esteem Abusing alcohol or drugs Maltreated as a child Angry Socially isolated Apathetic or passive Depressed Possessive or jealous of a child or children

Characteristics of Batterers Abusing alcohol or drugs Poor impulse control Demonstrates unpredictable behavior Inability to effectively manage anger Suffering from depression or other mental health disorders Previous family history of abuse or domestic violence

Studies A 1997 study conducted by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals found that over a 20 year period, a group of 153 animal abusers were five times more likely to commit violent crimes, four times more likely to commit property crimes and three times more likely to have drug or disorderly conduct offenses than a matched group of 153 non-animal abusers.

Studies A 1980 study in England found that of the 23 families that had a history of animal abuse, 83 percent had been identified by human service agencies as having children at risk of abuse or neglect. (Hutson 1983)

Studies A similar study by Walker in 1980 comparing the record of a Pennsylvania county’s society for the prevention of cruelty to animals and those of the same county’s youth social services found that the behavior pattern established towards one’s children were similar to those established towards one’s pets.

Common Characteristics of Abusers and Batterers Frequently exhibit more than one motivation Objectify their victims and treat them as property Have a strong leader/follower relationship between the abuser and the victim Victim is often physically weaker and unable to defend against the perpetrator Unreasonable expectations from victims Believe physical punishment is necessary and appropriate Rarely empathize with the victim’s feelings Often repeat abuse generation after generation

What can be done to help?

Cross-Reporting Cross-Reporting is a multidisciplinary approach to reporting incidents of child abuse and animal abuse. May involve any combination of animal care professionals reporting animal, child, or spousal abuse or social workers or health care personnel reporting suspected cases of abuse they encounter incidental to their responsibilities.

Two Important Underlying Premises That one form of abuse such as animal cruelty may be predictive or a proxy to another type of abuse such as child abuse or domestic violence. That certain professions may have special exposure, and in some cases training, to spot various types of abuse in families.

Cross-Reporting Inhibitors Inadequate training in recognizing and evaluating other forms of abuse/neglect Fear of litigation Unwillingness to breach client confidentialities Inadequate resources to handle existing problems Fear of economic reprisal

Cross-Reporting Inhibitors (cont’d.) Absence of protocols establishing cross-reporting policies and procedures Inconsistent definitions of abuse & neglect across professional boundaries Absence of an organization to which suspicions of abuse may be reported Lack of faith in the capabilities of the organization to which a report is made

Cross-Reporting Inhibitors (cont’d.) Reluctance to involve the government in a family matter Perception that the abuse is not serious enough to warrant an investigation No desire to become involved. The Evolution of Animal Welfare as a Human Welfare Concern by Phil Arkow (1999)

Video #3 The Deadly Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTUA7UGtHxc&list=PLGzul7Pi7BG8x7Cy833M9CtoVmpW9mRBs&index=3

States with Cross-Reporting Laws California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Illinois Kentucky Louisiana Maine Massachusetts Nebraska Ohio Oregon Tennessee Virginia West Virginia

More States Idaho provides veterinarians with immunity for such reports made in good faith but does not require reporting. Colorado law creates an affirmative duty for veterinarians to report known or suspected child abuse to county or local police.

More States In 1993, California amended its mandatory reporting law to include animal control officers and humane society officers to the list of those required to report. The law requires them to report known or suspected child abuse to a child protective agency by telephone as soon as possible and to send a written report within 36 hours.

Video #4 Cross Reporting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS4PH2DIgZA&index=4&list=PLGzu l7Pi7BG8x7Cy833M9CtoVmpW9mRBs

Children witnessing violence “Children who have witnessed such abuse or been victimized themselves frequently engage in “abuse reactive” behaviors…re- enacting what has been done to them either with younger siblings or with pets.” Randall Lockwood, ASPCA senior vice president for forensic sciences and anticruelty projects

What can each of us do? Inquire about pets/animals in the homes when responding to reports involving child abuse or domestic violence. Consider adding the following questions when responding to an incident and speaking with victims and witnesses: Are there pets in the home? What types and how many? Have any of your pets been harmed in the past? Have you seen anyone hurt an animal in your home? Have you ever hurt one of your pets? Have you ever been hurt or frightened by an animal? Ask to see those pets.

What can we do for our communities? Educate the general public that animal abuse is a crime and can serve as an indicator of other interpersonal violence. Encourage professionals in the community to receive cross-training for domestic violence, animal abuse and child abuse. Encourage agencies responsible for investigating these crimes to cross- report and provide a safety net for our children and their families. Include animal control officers and other related disciplines on multi- disciplinary teams to facilitate information sharing thus providing an additional safety net for the community. Advocate with lawmakers to strengthen laws and add additional laws to better protect children, animals, and families.

Resources National Link Coalition The Humane Society of the United States First Strike Program HSUS Resources American Veterinary Medical Association Cross-Reporting by State The Latham Foundation for the Promotion of Humane Education www.latham.org