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Being Kind To Animals For Everyone's Sake: The Correlation of Cruelty to Animals & Violence Against People

Cruelty to animals is not a new phenomenon. Humans have abused and neglected animals for years. Humane societies were formed in North America as early as the 1800s to protect animals from cruelty and neglect inflicted by humans. While the concept of animal cruelty is not new, in recent years studies indicate that a correlation exists between cruelty to animals and violence against people.

Early Warning Signs of Violence
Studies on animal cruelty committed by children as well as violence against humans indicate that a strong correlation exists between children who abuse animals and who, as adolescents and adults, commit aggressive acts against humans. Stephen R. Kellert and Alan R. Felthous have studied this phenomenon and have come up with some startling and important findings.

In their report Childhood Cruelty toward Animals among Criminals and Noncriminals (Human Relations, Volume 38, Number 12, pp. 1113-1129, 1985, Tavistock Institute of Human Relations) Kellert and Felthous stated that "Childhood cruelty toward animals occurred to a significantly greater degree among aggressive criminals than among nonaggressive criminals or noncriminals." The findings were based on "...personal interviews with 152 criminals and noncriminals in Kansas and Connecticut." Also of interest is the fact that many of the aggressive criminals in the study were raised by parents who had alcohol and/or drug problems and who were abusive to their children.

The examples and motives for animal cruelty that were provided in the study were shocking and disturbing. Kellert and Felthous encountered the following motives for animal cruelty: (1) to control an animal, (2) to retaliate against an animal, (3) to satisfy a prejudice against a species or breed (a hatred for cats was common), (4) to express aggression through an animal, (5) to enhance one's own aggressiveness, (6) to shock people for amusement, (7) to retaliate against another person, (8) displacement of hostility from a person to an animal and (9) nonspecific sadism. As well, Kellert and Felthous also learned of a "...significantly greater frequency of childhood stoning of animals among aggressive criminals."

Violent People Who Abused Animals
Although the correlation of cruelty to animals and violence against humans is not well known to most people, cases of animal abusers who later turned their aggressive actions on people are numerous and widespread. Some of the most notorious killers in the United States began their violent ways by being cruel to animals.

Guy R. Hodge and Randall Lockwood (who are with The Humane Society of the United States), in their article "Cruelty to Animals: First Stage in the Cycle of Violence" (Animals' Voice, pp.9-17, Fall 1990, Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), cited numerous examples of mass murderers who began their evil ways abusing animals including Albert DeSalvo (the "Boston Strangler"), Theodore Bundy and David Berkowitz (the "Son of Sam"). DeSalvo killed 13 women in 1962 and 1963. As a child he trapped dogs and cats in orange crates and shot arrows through the boxes. Theodore Bundy, one of the more infamous serial killers, claimed that his grandfather, with whom Bundy spent time as a child, tormented animals. Evidence linked Bundy to graves "filled with animal bones". David Berkowitz, who pleaded guilty to 13 murder and attempted murder charges, was portrayed by the press as hating dogs. He reportedly killed neighbourhood animals and was reported to the police for shooting his neighbour's Labrador Retriever.

A more recent example of a serial killer who was abusive to animals in his childhood was American Jeffrey Dahmer. Besides cutting up animals, Dahmer kept animal skeletons in a shed and had an animal cemetery at the side of the house. Neighbours saw frogs and cats that had been impaled or staked to trees. The mutilated body of a dog was found in the woods behind the Dahmer house. The animal's head was impaled on a stick while the gutted and skinned body was nailed to a tree. When he was younger Dahmer stripped the skin off of animals with acid. Dahmer admitted to killing 17 people.

Examples of people who were cruel to animals and violent toward people are not limited to the United States. Marc Lepine killed 14 female students and wounded 13 others at the Montreal University School of Engineering. Lepine killed pigeons with a pellet gun.

A 20-year-old Sudbury, Ontario man was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison for various crimes including being an accessory after the fact of murder, committing three robberies (in which weapons were used) and killing three dogs and wounding a fourth. The man was originally charged with murder but the charge was dropped after he pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact of murder. The man's cruel exploits involving dogs included killing a small black dog on Halloween (the dog was found impaled on a metal stake), mutilating a small Shih-tzu dog (who was placed on the front seat of a car), killing a Golden Retriever (who had been hit on the head with a sharp object and hung from a tree with its leash) and injuring a dog (the animal was found with a six-inch arrow in its lung - the arrow removed from the dog matched the tips of crossbow arrows found at the man's residence).

Punishments That Fit The Crime
Animal abuse and neglect occurs all too frequently. It is commonplace. Unfortunately, the punishments rarely fit the crimes - that is when the crimes are detected. Jail sentences for people who are cruel to animals are virtually unheard of. People convicted of abusing or neglecting an animal often receive only a small fine, are put on probation or receive some equally ineffective punishment. In most countries laws dealing with animal cruelty are woefully inadequate.

Animal cruelty is a very serious crime against a sentient being. For this reason alone punishments should be indicative of the crimes and serve as appropriate deterrents. However, because many people who abuse animals also commit violent acts against fellow humans, the need to impose effective deterrents on those who harm animals becomes even more vital.

People who have interviewed and studied serial killers have found that many of these murderers suffered a "trauma" during their childhood. The trauma may have been in the form of witnessing a violent act or being sexually molested. It has also been found that many serial killers in their youths were cruel to animals before turning their attention on people.

Ensuring that animal abusers are given appropriate punishments is particularly important when it concerns children - whether or not the child is the actual perpetrator. In their article "Cruelty to Animals: First Stage in the Cycle of Violence", Hodge and Lockwood refer to studies linking human violence with animal cruelty and the perpetuation of these horrible crimes. In one study of "...New Jersey families referred to Youth and Family Services for reasons of physical child abuse, a shocking 88 percent of the households included a member who had physically abused animals. In the majority of the cases an abusive parent had killed or injured pets as a way of disciplining children." Regarding another study Hodge and Lockwood state that, "Thirty-four percent of the delinquent teens in the study reported that their special pet had been killed or taken away by a parent, usually an abusive father."

Hodge and Lockwood believe that many children who are abused growing up end up perpetuating the abuse themselves on animals and, if these actions go unchallenged, on humans as well creating a cycle of violence. On this topic Hodge and Lockwood cited anthropologist Margaret Mead who said that, "One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it."

Animal abuse is a serious crime. For this reason alone punishments should be severe so as to serve as deterrents to possible future crimes of a similar nature. However, because animal abuse is often an indication of a greater underlying problem, the punishments must be such that future incidents are averted. As well, therapy and counselling should be considered as possible ways of helping animal abusers, particularly children, deal with their problems.

Importance of Humane Education
Being kind to animals is a natural thing for many people who have been raised with such morals and ethics. Unfortunately, for children who have not been raised with a respect for other living things, they need to be taught kindness and compassion - before animal abuse becomes acceptable or a way of life for them. Many children who have not been taught to respect and empathize with other living beings go through a period when they kill or injure animals. Left unchecked, some of these children become desensitized to the needs of animals and become increasingly cruel and destructive.

The subject of humane education should play a very important role in any school curriculum. Unfortunately, it may not yet be possible in some schools to teach humane education as its own course due to the fact that schools are inundated with required courses that must be taught. However, it is essential for children in particular and society in general to have humane education, in some form, taught in schools. And until humane education can be taught as its own course, it should be integrated into the other courses already being taught. In the elementary grades compassion and respect for animals could be taught in virtually any course. In the more senior grades specific topics could be taught in different courses. For example, the important issue of the correlation between cruelty to animals and violence against humans could make up part of the sociology or family studies program while the plight of the beluga whale in the St. Lawrence River or the reintroduction of the wolf in Yellowstone National Park could be taught in geography or biology.

It makes sense to have humane education play a significant role in a school's curriculum. Similarly, environmental studies should also be regularly taught in all grades. After all, two of the most challenging and serious problems facing society today are violence and an unhealthy environment. Humane education and environmental studies need not be two separate subjects. In fact, because they are interrelated, they would compliment each other as one subject - possibly entitled "Humane Education & the Environment".

Not only does teaching humane education expose children to the importance of being kind to animals and to recognize the needs of animals, but it can also provide teachers with some insight into the lives of their students. By students discussing how their animals are treated, teachers may learn about the quality of life of their students as child abuse often occurs where animal abuse takes place. The fact that child and animal abuse often occurs in the same household has prompted at least one animal control agency in the United States to train its officers to recognize and report child abuse.

Changes Needed to Create a "Humane Society"
Until recently much of society did not see the importance of treating non-human animals with respect and compassion. When people do not respect other creatures for the beautiful and feeling beings that they are, they often have the attitude that "they're only animals" as if implying that they are not worthy of humane treatment. This is not only a tragic and insensitive attitude to have, but it is a potentially dangerous one as well. Studies indicate that a strong link exists between animal cruelty and violence against humans. People who do not care about animals for the sentient beings that they are, should be concerned about animal abuse and neglect for the simple reasons that animal cruelty provides a warning of another serious social ill that could be occurring.

In order to combat increasing social violence, it makes sense to start at the beginning - teaching children to be caring and sensitive to animals. Children who are sympathetic to the needs of animals are more likely to be sympathetic to the needs of fellow human beings. To ensure that this compassion and respect is instilled in society, it is vital to teach humane education to students in their elementary grades and throughout their academic studies. As well, those in the legal system must realize the importance of imposing effective and suitable penalties on those who abuse and neglect animals.

Hopefully parents teach their children to be kind to animals and to respect other living creatures and their environment. However, if they don't, teachers must play important roles in ensuring that students are humane to animals. For those who do not learn to respect the needs and rights of animals from their parents or teachers and who are cruel to animals, the legal system must ensure that appropriate deterrents and programs are put in place to effectively deal with the serious problem of animal cruelty. Only when parents, teachers, lawyers, judges, politicians and counsellors, to name but a few, begin to consider animal cruelty for the very serious crime that it is, will "civilized" society actually start to act in a civilized manner. Gandhi's philosophy of how animals should be revered sums up the correlation between animal cruelty and violence against people. "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Let's start treating the animals with which we share this planet with the kindness and respect that they deserve. If we do, we will not only be significantly improving their lives, but ours as well.

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