Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective

by Gregory M. Simpson

Several years ago, The Denver Post reported about twelve-year-old Eric Smith who strangled a cat with a garden hose.  At the time, it was dismissed as a childhood prank.  One year later, Smith murdered four-year-old Derrick Robie.
The link between violence to humans and violence to animals is now well established.  Psychologist Randall Lockwood, in his role as Vice-President of the Humane Society of the United States, stated, "Not all abused individuals become abusers, but virtually all animal abusers were abused."  Criminologist Jack Levin concluded that people who are violent against animals are five times as likely to be violent against humans.  There are many infamous examples. 
Jeffrey Dahmer impaled frogs and cats and decapitated a dog as a child, and went on to kill and dismember seventeen people.  David Berkowitz killed neighborhood pets and became New York City’s "Son of Sam" killer.  A study of 28 convicted sexual homicide perpetrators found that prevalence of cruelty to animals was 36% in childhood and 46% in adolescence.
Numerous U.S. cities and states now have mandatory cross-reporting laws.  Connecticut should be one of them.  In these places, when individuals legally mandated to report child abuse suspect animal abuse in a home, they must report it to the animal protection agency.  Likewise, if animal control officers suspect child abuse in a home, they are mandated reporters of that information to child protective services.
The American Humane Association (AHA), the only national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals from cruelty, neglect, abuse and exploitation, has long recommended that in every state there be cross-training and cross-reporting among law enforcement officers, humane investigators, veterinarians, health professionals, domestic violence advocates, and child protection workers.  In addition, AHA has recommended systematic tracking of national animal abuse data.
Animal abuse often occurs in concert with other types of family violence, including spouse and elder abuse.  A New Jersey study found that when child abuse was present, animal abuse was also noted 88% of the time, sometimes by an abusive parent and sometimes by the abused child.  Another study of women seeking shelter at a safe house showed that 71% of those having pets indicated that their partner had threatened, hurt or killed their companion animals and 32% of mothers reported that their children had hurt or killed their pets.
Adults model violence to children in multiple ways.  Where incest or sexual abuse is involved, an offender can use actual or threatened animal torture or death to silence a child about the sexual abuse.  Most common is the modeling that violent adults provide through the abuse of a spouse, the elderly, animals, or the child himself.  Although violence is everywhere in our society, most child and/or animal abuse is insidious and occurs behind closed doors.  In 2001, 80.9% of the perpetrators of child abuse or neglect were parents, with another 15.9% including other caregivers, babysitters, and extended family members.
To date, the reason why there is no mandatory cross reporting law in Connecticut may reflect our society’s English common law precedents related to the "ownership" of children and animals, i.e., the "how I treat my children or pets is my business" kind of attitude.  The first laws related to child abuse in the U.S. actually came after the laws on the books against animal cruelty, in the Mary Ellen Wilson case of 1874.  As Jacob Riis wrote at the time, "…I was where the first chapter of children’s rights was written, under warrant of that made for the dog…."
Because children and animals are frequently mistreated in the same household, police officers, social workers and animal control officers all need to learn what to look for and how to deal with abuse when encountered.  There were 2.7 million referrals of child abuse or neglect nationwide in 2001, with a little less than one million confirmed cases.  Over one-half (56.5%) of 2001 reports of suspected maltreatment came from mandated reporters.
For animal abuse, Connecticut has a felony anti-cruelty statute and allows court ordered psychiatric counseling or anger management training for those convicted of animal cruelty.  The Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect estimates that there are almost three times as many children maltreated as the number reported to child protective services.  Connecticut needs a mandatory cross reporting law to help prevent child and animal abuse.  In instances where it cannot be prevented, it needs to be reported and addressed.
For the animals,
Gregory M. Simpson
Gregory Simpson’s animal welfare involvement spans over 25 years, having provided leadership for several Connecticut organizations, as well as having served as state advisor to the national Friends of Animals.  Currently a Board member of Protectors of Animals, Inc., he was chosen by CAT FANCY magazine as one of the ultimate cat lovers in the U.S.  He is also a member of the Cat Writers’ Association.