The link between animal abuse and human violence
During the last 30 years, evidence has been accumulating of a link between animal abuse and violence to humans, or anti-social behaviour. Britain's first major academic conference on this relationship was held in Oxford, England recently.
The conference parallels recent advances in New Zealand (see Biosecurity, 75:4, 1 May 2007). The conference explored the meaning of this link, and its implications for social and legal policy. In particular, it focused on the nature of animal abuse, the motivation that leads to cruel acts, and the implications for human and animal welfare.
Dr Ian Robertson, a New Zealand barrister specialising in animals and the law, attended and spoke at the conference.
Behind closed doors
"It was very raw, dealing with personal violence and abuse to humans and animals," he says. "Although many animal welfare issues receive attention because of related human interests, the human interest in this conference entered areas that used to be considered private. It is one thing to consider human interests of trade and health, but quite another to discuss animal welfare in relation to physical and mental violence behind people's closed doors."
Another presenter, Dr Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, psychoanalyst, author, and former Director of the Freud Archive, also has links to New Zealand. He is currently an Honorary Research Associate, Department of Philosophy, University of Auckland. Dr Masson spoke about intensive farming and institutionalised violence.
Ian Robertson spoke on the role of the veterinarian in safeguarding victims of abuse. He considered the implementation of a mandatory legal duty on veterinarians to report cases of suspected abuse – a move which is increasingly being implemented by veterinary bodies overseas, but is not in place in England or New Zealand.
Erin Pizzey, a founder of refuges for battered women and children, award winning humanitarian, author, poet and playwright, was one of the guests of honour at the conference. She explained that the turning point in her own life came when, as a child, she felt the loss of a pup which died of distemper. She went on to explain how that experience affected her emotionally, and how she subsequently became involved with establishing shelters for battered women and their children.
Evidence of animal abuse
Frank Ascione, Professor of Psychology at Utah State University, United States is a leading expert on animal abuse and interpersonal violence. He referred to one study of human violence which identified that, in over 80 percent of cases involving physical abuse to humans, there was evidence of abuse to animals in the perpetrator's history. Another study reported that, of battered women who had pets in the home, about half report that the animal has been abused and/or killed. Animal cruelty is also recognised as an indicator behaviour of children who have been exposed to domestic violence. "Animal abuse is potentially the tip of a much bigger iceberg," he said.
He also referred to the plight of women who "wouldn't go to a shelter because the shelter wouldn't take the dog". A number of women's shelters are now allowing pets to accompany families so that concerns for the pet's safety do not get in the way of seeking help. Frank Ascione suggested that battered wives have suffered because of legislation which failed to take account of the pet's safety in situations of domestic violence. However, the law is gradually responding, and in the last two years, six American states have allowed pets to be included in protection orders.
A presentation entitled The new canaries in the mine: The priority of human welfare in an animal abuse prosecution, suggested that animal cruelty cases are the indicator of danger to humans. It was suggested that animals are often treated as indicators rather than victims in their own right, and that there was merit in reforms that take into account the inherent value of the animal, as well as human interests in the animal. To achieve this, it was suggested that the law could define violence in terms of the action, rather than the species of the victim.
Barriers to reporting abuse
However, there are barriers to the reporting of suspected abuse. Alan C Brantley, former FBI Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI's National Centre for the Analysis of Violent Crime, has compiled a checklist of 16 factors for use in assessing dangerousness in individuals. One of the factors is the presence of animal abuse. However, recognising a potential problem and reporting it are two different issues.
"Good people sometimes fail to act, even though they know about, or suspect, animal abuse and cruelty," Mr Brantley said. Fear for personal safety, and concerns where the person believes they won't be supported, also contribute to a lack of reporting.
Research has identified similar concerns among professional groups, including veterinarians. Fear of retaliation, financial repercussions, and questions about breaching client confidentiality are some of the concerns that have been expressed. In a recent study by the New Zealand Veterinary Association, 63 percent of the veterinarians who responded had seen cases of deliberate abuse.
Perhaps the key question, however, is how many of those cases were appropriately reported to enable support services to help. At least one study has shown that an ethical duty to report may not be sufficient to motivate veterinarians to report suspicions of animal abuse. In a United States study, 88 percent of veterinarians surveyed felt they had seen non-accidental trauma in their patients, but only 27 percent had filed a report.
Mandatory reporting removes moral dilemma
Dr Ian Robertson pointed out that a mandatory duty to report removes the moral dilemma for the veterinarian, and simplifies their decision making. Effective and efficient reporting of suspected abuse, he says, has important relevance for all those whose lives are affected by issues of abuse and violence.
The Oxford conference helped put the links between animal abuse and human abuse onto the agenda, academically and for the many organisations working with the consequences of abuse. The event brought together campaigners, professionals, activists and academics from over 10 countries to discuss this issue on a scale never before seen in the United Kingdom. There was solidarity across all the professional disciplines and fields of study represented. Lawyers discussed best practice with veterinary practitioners, animal protection workers swapped stories with health professionals and academics learnt from the experience of campaigners.
There are still challenges ahead, however. Codes of best practice need to be developed and professional training and assessment implemented, policy makers will need to consider how to apply best practice, and legislation and professional bodies will need to incorporate the latest research and thinking. In spite of the obstacles, animal abuse has enormous implications for victims – animals and humans alike, many of whom remain unseen behind closed doors.
Dr Ian Robertson LLB, MRCVS, BVSc is a barrister specialising in animals and the law.
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Page last updated: 30 April 2008