NCJ Number
210752
Journal
Criminal Justice Studies: A Critical Journal of Crime, Law and Society Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2005 Pages: 173-182
Date Published
June 2005
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined the influence of demographic and situational characteristics on the type of animal abused among a sample of incarcerated adult male offenders.
Abstract
While previous research has failed to establish a conclusive link between childhood animal cruelty and subsequent adult violence toward humans, there has been a renewed interest in animal cruelty as a precursor to human violence. The current study explored the types of animals abused and how the abusers’ demographic characteristics and the circumstances of the abuse might have affected the targeting of one type of animal or another. Participants were 261 incarcerated male offenders who completed self-report questionnaires regarding their race, education, childhood residence, whether they hurt or killed animals alone, if they tried to conceal the cruelty, if they felt upset after the cruelty, the frequency of animal cruelty acts, and the age of onset. Results of statistical analyses indicated that inmates who had frequently abused animals tended to target dogs, cats, and wild animals and inmates who had targeted dogs tended to carry out the cruelty alone. Inmates who had targeted cats had a younger age of animal cruelty onset. These findings are worthy of further investigation for what they may tell us about how the abuse of certain animals may lead to later violence against humans. Future studies may gain richer data through direct interviews with subjects. Tables, references