Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Making the links: child abuse, animal cruelty and domestic violence
Other Titles:	Child abuse review : journal of the British Association for the Study and [cut]
Authors:	French, Lesley Becker, Fiona
Keywords:	Policy;Child protection;Impact on children and young people;Interagency work;Leaving/Staying;Animal abuse
Year:	2004
Publisher:	John Wiley & Sons
Citation:	13 (6), November/December 2004
Notes:	This paper presents the research evidence on the correlation between child abuse, animal abuse and domestic violence. It explores the evidence available to professionals working with animals or children, and describes the process of establishing a national multidisciplinary group (the Links Group) in the United Kingdom. Key themes from research and literature review (mostly from the United States and Canada) include: animal abuse as part of a continuum of abuse within the family; animal abuse perpetrated by children who show aggressive behaviour later on; animal abuse as an indicator of child abuse; and the therapeutic potential of animals in child development and within post-abuse work. In the context of domestic violence, animal abuse is found to coerce, control and intimidate children to remain silent about abusive situations. US research that compared 100 battered women who had pets with a sample of non-battered women who had pets, reported that 51% of the battered women, compared to 5% of the non-battered women, said their partner had hurt or killed pets. 62% of the battered women reported children’s exposure to animal abuse. In nearly 1 in 4 cases, battered women’s concern for their pets had prevented them from seeking shelter sooner. Another study in Canada found that 44% of women in refuges reported their partners had abused or killed family pets and 43% of women said their concern for pets had prevented them from leaving the relationship earlier. Recommendations are made for change within organisations that work in the field of animal welfare, welfare of children and vulnerable families, to recognise the links in policy and practice, to protect children and address culture and levels of violence.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/15706
ISSN:	0952-9136
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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