Submitted by Peoria County Animal Protection Services
Animal
abuse and cruelty must be an important consideration in our fight
against violence in our society. It should come as no surprise that the
cruel or neglectful treatment of animals in homes can indicate other
problems within the family. Although animal protection workers have long
suspected this, only during the last three decades have scientists,
psychologists, and criminologists begun documenting this relationship.
Scientific research indicates that young people who are cruel to
animals are more likely to become aggressive toward humans as they
develop. Children learn cruel behaviors from adults and may reenact them
on animals, sometimes to release the aggression they feel toward
abusive adults or because of psychological trauma. No longer can cruelty
to animals be passed off as just a phase in childhood or with a “boys
will be boys” attitude. Instead, we must recognize that animal abuse can
indicate serious maladjustment. Children who abuse animals may be
abused themselves and stand a significant risk of growing up to be
abusers. In homes with a high degree of violence and human abuse, animal
cruelty often occurs as well.
Animals, especially pets, get
caught up in this cycle of family violence. Abusers may intimidate women
and children into silence about sexual or physical abuse by threatening
or even killing a favorite pet. Pets are sometimes hurt or killed to
punish a child for something he or she has done. Abused children may act
out aggression and frustration on a pet they perceive as even more
vulnerable than themselves. Sometimes, in cases of elder abuse, the
perpetrator neglects or abuses the elder’s pet as a form of control or
retaliation out of frustration over their caretaking responsibilities or
to extract money.
Animal abuse includes neglect as well as
intentional cruel treatment, and state, county, and city laws prohibit
such activities. Neglect is characterized as the unintentional abuse of
an animal, which usually includes failing to provide food, water,
shelter, and veterinary care for a pet. Owners who neglect their pets
usually do so because of ignorance, a lack of resources, or a general
sense of apathy toward the pet’s care. Cruelty, on the other hand,
generally means an intentional act that harms an animal, such as beating
or torturing it. Extreme situations include setting an animal on fire,
dragging an animal behind a vehicle, placing a lighted firecracker in a
pet’s anus or mouth, or even sexual abuse.
Reporting suspected
neglect or abuse of an animal not only stops the animal’s suffering but
can also provide important intervention in the family’s cycle of
violence. When an animal control officer or law enforcement official
investigates such reports, they also observe any possible incidents of
domestic violence or child neglect/abuse. And, if a child turns out to
be the abuser of an animal, officers can offer intervention or
assistance so that the young person can have the necessary treatment or
behavior modification needed to stop the cycle of abuse from continuing.
What can you do? Report animal cruelty or abuse to the Peoria County
Animal Protection Services (PAWS) or your local law enforcement.
Officers will investigate the report and provide relief for the animal
and determine if other intervention may be warranted.
If your
child behaves cruelly toward an animal, you must intercede. If the
cruelty is repetitive or the incidents are few but intensify each time,
there should be cause for immediate concern. Consult your psychologist,
doctor, school counselor, or humane educator at the local humane society
for help. If you see someone else’s child hurting an animal, you can
report the abuse to the Peoria County Animal Protection Services
(PAWS)—your identity remains confidential.
Become familiar with
the signs of elder abuse. If such abuse is suspected, check the physical
condition of the pets in the household. Ask questions, and be
observant. If a pet is suddenly missing or has been moved outside, ask
why. Questions give the person a chance to share concerns or report
abuse. Finally, spread the word—schedule a speaker from the Peoria
County Animal Protection Services (PAWS) to talk to your church,
organization, or club about the connection between animal abuse and
human violence.
If you are suspicious of animal cruelty or
have witnessed animal cruelty, there may also be a person being abused
on the premises. Please report an abuse immediately. Call the Peoria
County Animal Protection Services at 309-672-2440.
Photo credit: svelby/iStock