NCJ Number
166405
Journal
Prosecutor Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: (January/February 1996) Pages: 31-33
Date Published
1996
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article reports on research that shows a connection between violence toward animals and violence toward people and then suggests how prosecutors should handle cases of cruelty to animals.
Abstract
In 1985 researchers examined self-reported childhood histories of animal cruelty in men imprisoned for violent crimes compared to a comparison group of nonincarcerated, nonviolent individuals. Twenty-five percent of the violent criminals reported "substantial cruelty" toward animals in their childhood, but none of the nonincarcerated men reported a history of animal cruelty. Similarly, 36 percent of assaultive women offenders reported histories of animal abuse, compared to none for non-assaultive women. Other research reveals links between the perpetration of cruelty to animals and the perpetration of child abuse and spousal abuse. The evidence is clear that violence toward animals is a reliable precursor for other forms of violence. From a prosecutor's perspective, cases of cruelty to animals by children should be viewed as serious deviant behavior, and violence toward animals by adults should no longer be viewed as an isolated incident, but rather a warning that the humans in the family may be at risk or even already abused. Laws that require treatment for animal abusers are important, and penalties severe enough to plea bargain an offender into treatment constitute another option. Another important step would be to assign a tracking number to animal cruelty convictions to support research into criminal patterns that include violence to animals. This would also enable prosecutors to take into account cruelty to animals in sentencing review and in hearings on parole or probation. 13 notes