Victims/Survivors of family and domestic violence in diverse, multispecies households

Abstract

Domestic and family violence (DFV), including but not limited to intimate partner violence (IPV), is a major and devastating problem in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019). This is especially true for cisgender women (Fraser, 2008), people who are gender and/or sexuality diverse (Riggs, Taylor, Fraser, et al., 2018), and children (Fraser, 1999). Less recognised is that DFV is also a major problem for many animals (Taylor & Fraser, 2019). Humans have a long history of keeping animal companions (or ‘pets’) in their homes, and today 61% of Australian households are multispecies (RSPCA, 2020). Recent research has shown just how much diverse groups of humans value the relationships they have with animal companions—particularly among those who are more vulnerable to oppression, such as cisgender heterosexual women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer [LGBTQ] people (see Fraser & Taylor, 2017, 2019). Such relationships put animal companions at significant risk of violence within the home, as they may be targets of violence and are often used as ‘coercive devices’ (i.e., used by an abuser to make the victim/survivor behave in a certain way) within violent intimate partner and family dynamics. This begs consideration of a multispecies, intersectional analysis that fosters an inclusive understanding of the importance of animals in multispecies households, including their own experiences of violence.