What Every Mental Health and Animal Health Professional Should Know About Animal Abuse

What Every Mental Health and Animal Health Professional Should Know About Animal Abuse

In the past decade, convincing studies derived from a variety of professional areas—social work, psychology, veterinary medicine, violence prevention—have conclusively demonstrated the close link between animal cruelty and violence toward people. National epidemiological studies found significance between animal cruelty and other types of crime (Vaughn, et al, 2009); a multi-city, multi-year study established that animal cruelty was one risk factor for predicting which individuals would turn to domestic violence (Walton-Moss, Manganello, Frey & Campbell, 2005); and children exposed to violence, including animal cruelty, are more likely to be perpetrators or victims of violence (Baldry, 2004).

The proposed workshop will “translate” the empirical evidence into practical tools needed by social workers and other health care workers, veterinarians, and law enforcement to address this significant problem in an integrative way. In short, the workshop will answer the questions: Why should I pay attention to the possibility of animal cruelty? How do I ask questions about animal abuse? What do I do if I find there might be a problem? What are the professional ethics involved? How can the various professions involved collaborate?

The proposed workshop will consist of two short presentations, with each followed by interactive exercises and discussion. One presenter will suggest an approach to identify and assess potential animal cruelty, as well as the professional ethics that may apply in various contexts. For example, how does a professional handle confidentiality concerns when there also is a duty to protect? How might normative standards vary by type of profession? A second presenter will describe the resources needed to address the problem of animal cruelty and domestic violence, e.g., pet protection orders, safe havens for pets of domestic violence victims, and safety planning. The particular and practical resources needed to assist domestic violence victims with pets will be demonstrated and participants will have the opportunity to respond and become familiar with these resources. For example, workshop participants will learn how to use the Animal Welfare Institute’s web-based national safe havens for pets program.

Selected References

Baldry, A. C. (2004). The development of the P.E.T. scale for the measurement of physical and emotional tormenting against animals in adolescents. Society and Animals, 12, 1-17.

Vaughn, M., Fu, Q., DeLisi, M., Beaver, K.M., Perron, B.E., Terrell, K. & Howard, M.O. (2009). Correlates of cruelty to animals in the United States: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 53, 1213-1218.

Walton-Moss, B.J., Manganello, J., Frey, V. & Campbell, J.C. (2005) Risk factors for intimate partner violence and associated injury among urban women. Journal of Community Health, 30, 377-389.

Mary Lou Randour, Ph.D., is Senior Advisor, Animal Cruelty Programs and Training at the Animal Welfare Institute. Dr. Randour is a psychologist who has made multiple presentations to professional audiences on the topic of the association of animal cruelty with other interpersonal violence. She also is the author of numerous articles published in professional journals and the author of three books. Dr. Randour is founder and Chair of the Section on Human Animal Interacton, Society of Counseling Psychology, American Psychological Association and a member of the Steering Committee on Human Animal Interactions of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Nancy Blaney is a Senior Policy Advisor at the Animal Welfare Institute. She has over 25 years of experirence advocating on behavor of animals at the state and federal level. Ms. Blaney identifies policy needs and is one of the oiginators of the effort to have the Federal Bureau of Investigation include animal cruelty as a separate crime in the agency's crime data reporting system. She also works closely with the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys on the topic of animal cruelty and other crime and the training of law enforcement.