Fear, Guilt, and Grief: Harm to Pets and the Emotional Abuse of Women

• NCJ Number: 218859
• Journal: Journal of Emotional Abuse Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: 2007 Pages: 51-70
• Author(s): Catherine A. Faver; Elizabeth B. Strand
• Date Published: 2007
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Literature Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article reviews the literature on the emotional impact of pet abuse on battered women.

Abstract

The review uncovered six main findings that are important for understanding pet abuse as a batterer’s way of exerting control over a partner and inflicting emotional abuse: (1) it is common for batterers to harm their partner’s pets; (2) many battered women consider their pets an important source of emotional support, particularly battered women whose pets are abused; (3) battered women worry about the safety of their pets both while living within the abusive relationship and upon entering a domestic violence shelter, which typically have no-pet policies; (4) concern for the safety of their pets impacts women’s decision to stay within or leave an abusive relationship; (5) the children of battered women often witness the pet abuse and experience emotional distress; and (6) a batterer’s abuse of pets has a direct and immediate negative emotional impact on battered women. The review found that pet abuse is used as a tactic of power and control in the context of domestic violence. Battered women described feelings of grief, guilt, rage, and hopelessness for not being able to protect pets from harm, torture, or death at the hands of their batterer. The research review highlights three important implications for practice: (1) domestic violence service providers should include questions about pets and pet abuse in all clinical assessments; (2) domestic violence service providers should work with animal welfare professionals to create “safe pet” programs that address the concerns of battered women; and (3) domestic service providers should develop community anti-violence collations that include social service and animal welfare professionals, law enforcement officers, attorneys, judges, and community volunteers. Future research opportunities in this area are numerous and include an examination of the impact of pet abuse on children. Table, references