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Abusing Children - Abusing Animals

Kingston University, England, lbell{at}hcs.sghms.ac.uk

Summary: Research suggests that if an individual is cruel to animals then he/she is more likely to be aggressive towards his/her partner and children; that children who are abused are more likely to be cruel to animals; and that children who are cruel to animals are more likely to be aggressive towards humans. Because of the potential seriousness of the link between cruelty to animals and a child’s experiences and behaviour, a survey was undertaken in the UK to explore what services were available to children who were cruel to animals. This paper summarizes some of the existing research and describes the study of services.

Findings: The findings show that a small number of children are already receiving services, but that most agencies do not routinely include cruelty to animals as part of their assessment. There is no therapy or counselling specifically focused on cruelty to animals, but agencies could provide a range of services appropriate to the needs of the child and/or the family.

Applications: This articles highlights the fact that a child’s cruelty to animals may be an important symptom of negative experiences and/or predictor of future aggressive behaviour and that cruelty to animals should be included in assessments of vulnerable children.

Key Words: aggression • animal cruelty • child abuse • children • therapy

Journal of Social Work, Vol. 1, No. 2, 223-234 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/146801730100100207


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