Evidence is mounting that animal abuse, frequently embedded in families scarred by domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, often predicts the potential for other violent acts. As early intervention is critical in the prevention and reduction of aggression, this book encourages researchers and professionals to recognize animal abuse as a significant problem and a human public-health issue that should be included as a curriculum topic in training. The book is an interdisciplinary source book of original essays that examines the relations between animal maltreatment and human interpersonal violence, expands the scope of research in this growing area, and provides practical assessment and documentation strategies to help professionals confronting violence do their jobs better by attending to these connections. As an outgrowth of the Latham Foundation's 1995 training manual, Breaking the Cycles of Violence, this book is a historic step in helping professionals from these disciplines, as well as the general public, recognize the cyclical and insidious nature of family violence and provides training in recognizing peripheral forms of family violence outside a family's immediate purview. It encourages cross-disciplinary prevention and intervention strategies with an ultimate goal of reducing the levels of violence which is such a great societal and cultural concern today. This book brings together, for the first time, all of the leaders in this emerging field. They examine contemporary research and programmatic issues, encourage cross-disciplinary interactions, and describe innovative programs in the field today. Also included are vivid first-person accounts from survivors whose experiences included animal maltreatment among other forms of family violence. Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Animal Abuse provides professional communities of psychologists and child welfare specialists with a deeper, higher, and more encompassing awareness and understanding of the crucial linking of caring for animals and children in human experience. The combination of careful research, documentation, and compelling narrative accounts are blended into a rich resource to help professionals, concerned citizens, and parents understand how the ethics of caring are not bounded by species.

Contains 46 articles by various authors concerned with cruelty to animals and how that relates to violent human relations.

A comprehensive examination of the causes of, and links between, interpersonal and interspecies violence Animal Abuse and Interpersonal Violence: A Psycho-Criminological Understanding addresses the many aspects of the link between animal cruelty and human violence. Presenting new theory, research, policy, and practice, this authoritative volume explores the subject through a psycho-criminological lens to describe, explain, and potentially prevent intentional behavior that causes pain, suffering, or death in animals and humans. With an integrated theoretical-practical approach, Animal Abuse and Interpersonal Violence offers up-to-date research and provides real-world insights into current thinking in the study of animal abuse and interpersonal violence. Sixteen in-depth chapters by a multidisciplinary team of active researchers and experienced field practitioners examine central topics in the field, including different forms of animal exploitation, connections between animal cruelty and substance abuse, the association between childhood animal cruelty and adult interpersonal violence, the role of veterinarians in the identification of animal abuse cases, the complex legal aspects of animal abuse cases, and more. Advances scholarship on animal abuse, its relationship with interpersonal violence, and the psycho-criminological mechanisms involved in that relationship Introduces readers to contemporary research on a range of topics and issues related to animal abuse and interpersonal violence Examines the origins of animal cruelty, its societal implications, and various prevention and treatment approaches Defines and describes various types of animal maltreatment and their links to different forms of interpersonal violence Animal Abuse and Interpersonal Violence: A Psycho-Criminological Understanding is essential reading for practitioners, researchers, scholars, and advanced students in fields such as behavioral science, law, criminology, veterinary forensics, criminal justice, law enforcement, social work, sociology, social sciences, education, and animal welfare.

Practitioners in the animal welfare field, law enforcement circles, and social services arena have often maintained that childhood cruelty to animals is a forerunner to violence against people. Does this behavior serve as a red flag with respect to extremely violent offenders, such as serial killers? Is it part of the cycle of violence associated with domestic abuse? Perez and Heide provide the first scientific examination of this relationship and examine issues of cruelty across different types of animals (pet, wild, stray, farm). The authors evaluate both qualitative and quantitative data to identify correlations between childhood cruelty and adult violent behavior, utilizing interviews and criminal records of violent and nonviolent inmates in a maximum security prison. Their findings will be of importance to a diverse audience, including researchers and practitioners in the field of juvenile justice, violence and domestic abuse, social welfare, animal welfare and animal rights and developmental psychologists and counselors, as well as law enforcement officers, district attorneys and judges, county and municipal officials, animal control officers, veterinarians, and school administrators, especially those concerned with intervention and prevention strategies.

Animal abuse as a predictor of abuse against humans has been documented extensively. Experts have explored alternatives to identify the early signs and stop the cycle. This book offers an up-to-date compendium that covers the historical, legal, research and applied issues related to animal abuse and cruelty.

Learn how animal cruelty is linked to family violence Experts find a disturbingly close relationship between animal abuse and family violence. Animal Abuse and Family Violence: Linkages, Research, and Implications for Professional Practice explores the difficult link between family violence and animal abuse in depth, explaining why the abuse occurs and offering practical treatment options. This concise yet comprehensive overview describes creative programs to foster prevention of cruelty to animals as well as nonviolence toward humans. New research and approaches for policy and practice are presented in detail, all in one easy-to-read volume. Animal Abuse and Family Violence: Linkages, Research, and Implications for Professional Practice works to fill the noticeable gap in the present literature about the connection between violence to family members and pets. This text provides practical suggestions for including animal cruelty as an important component for assessment and treatment in the education and training of mental health professionals. The book is extensively referenced. Topics discussed in Animal Abuse and Family Violence: Linkages, Research, and Implications for Professional Practice include: an overview of empirical literature linking family violence to cruelty of family pets short- and long-term effects of experiencing animal abuse and the impact on victims the prevalence within the Hispanic community of pet abuse and intimate partner violence animal cruelty disclosure in child welfare cases the collection of data and communication among agencies about animal cruelty at the state and federal level the positive impact of programs utilizing pet assisted therapy Animal Abuse and Family Violence: Linkages, Research, and Implications for Professional Practice is a valuable resource for clinical psychologists, counselors, social workers, educators, students, veterinarians, animal rights activists, mainstream media, and anyone interested in the prevention of animal abuse.

Animal abuse is an increasingly recognized issue throughout the world and makes headlines every year. The plight of animals is well documented, but the hidden cost to those who help is not fully understood. This practical handbook covers definitions, types and explanations of forms of animal abuse, and then examines the impacts of animal abuse on professionals and provides coping strategies. The book concludes with a guide to dealing with animal abuse, including providing first aid for common emergencies and dealing with the human abusers.