Animal Cruelty Indicates The Offender's Tendency Towards Social Violence

Act of prevention of cruelty of animals is one most essential part of social welfare. Studies have shown that animal cruelty or animal abuse and human violence are highly co-related. Very recently more evidences have suggested that people with history of crimes or social violence have also had links to animal cruelty sometimes in their life. Many infamous criminals of 20th century were related to animal abuse acts like killing pets and setting fire on animals. Some instances that I could gather from net and some other sources are given below:

• Carol Edmund Cole, the murderer 35 people had admitted that he had throttled a puppy to death, which was his first violent act.
• The "Boston Strangler" Albert DeSalvo had shot arrows and killed cats and dogs trapped in a box.
• Jeffrey Dahmer, who was a cannibal and mass-murderer had killed neighbors' pets. He was also accused of impaling the head of a dog on a pierce stick.
• Brenda Spencer triggered 40 bullets off into a crowd of children, thereby wounding 9 and murdering a cuiople of kids. this person had a history of setting the the dogs' and cats' tail on fire.
• Richard Allen Davis, who is a murder and kidnapper, had a history of dousing cats with gasoline and used to set them on fire.
• Patrick Sherril, the murderer of his co-workers and later killed himself, had a history of catching other pets, then tied them up to let his own dog to attack them wildly and even killed them.
  

Another most recent evidence of such animal cruelty that was flashed across the web aws the act of Peruvian soldiers of killing dogs. An incredibly great numbers of dogs were killed by the Peruvian soldiers to master the art of killing. Please visit the links to see how the slaughter of dogs by the Peruvian soldiers were the climax of a series of their "bravery tests" in course of training them to be ruthless murderers:

Welcome Dog Lovers,
Prijatelji-Zivotinja
and
Telegraph.

There are many more evidences that can exemplify such connections between human violence and animal abuse. Killers like Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, David Berkowitz and the two Columbine killers, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris all had their own history of animal abuse. Psycho-analysis of the imprisoned criminals showed that over 75% of anti-socials (related to violent offenses) had early records of abusing animals. A detailed study by a British researcher showed that over 80% of families reported for animal cruelty had kids who are at the highest risk of abuse too.

"The Link" of American Human and “First Strike” of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are the two national animal welfare organizations that are working on the programs to bring the awareness of this problem to mass attention.

Read out the following excerpt from the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about animal abuse from the desk of Humane Society of the United States...

What is animal cruelty?
Animal cruelty encompasses a range of behaviors harmful to animals, from neglect to malicious killing. Most cruelty investigated by humane officers is unintentional neglect that can be resolved through education. Intentional cruelty, or abuse, is knowingly depriving an animal of food, water, shelter, socialization, or veterinary care or maliciously torturing, maiming, mutilating, or killing an animal.

Why is it a concern?
All animal cruelty is a concern because it is wrong to inflict suffering on any living creature. Intentional cruelty is a particular concern because it is a sign of psychological distress and often indicates that an individual either has already experienced violence or may be predisposed to committing acts of violence.

Is there any evidence of a connection between animal cruelty and human violence?
Absolutely. Many studies in psychology, sociology, and criminology during the last 25 years have demonstrated that violent offenders frequently have childhood and adolescent histories of serious and repeated animal cruelty. The FBI has recognized the connection since the 1970s, when its analysis of the lives of serial killers suggested that most had killed or tortured animals as children. Other research has shown consistent patterns of animal cruelty among perpetrators of more common forms of violence, including child abuse, spouse abuse, and elder abuse. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association considers animal cruelty one of the diagnostic criteria of conduct disorder.

Why would anyone be cruel to animals?
There can be many reasons. Animal cruelty, like any other form of violence, is often committed by a person who feels powerless, unnoticed, and under the control of others. The motive may be to shock, threaten, intimidate, or offend others or to demonstrate rejection of society's rules. Some who are cruel to animals copy things they have seen or that have been done to them. Others see harming an animal as a safe way to get revenge on someone who cares about that animal.

What happens when authorities prosecute an animal cruelty case?
Depending on the severity of the case, individuals found guilty may be imprisoned. Appropriate sentencing can also include individual or family counseling, community service, or diversion programs. It is rarely the goal of the authorities to imprison a child for cruelty to animals. Law enforcement officers and judges recognize that cruelty to animals is one part of a complex problem. Sometimes the official response to animal cruelty provides a family its first opportunity to get help.

Can reports be made anonymously?
While many jurisdictions will respond to an anonymous complaint, successful prosecutions often depend on an identifiable witness who can authenticate evidence.

Will I be required to testify?
If a case goes to trial and you have identified yourself as the complainant in either a written or an oral report, you may be called to testify.

Preventing animal cruelty can bring a marked difference to the social structure.