Thursday 17 January 2013

Effects Of Animal Abuse

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Effects Of Animal Abuse Biography
This study examined effects of type of and cumulative burden of childhood adversities on bullying and cruelty to animals in the United States. Data were derived from Waves I and II of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Structured psychiatric interviews were completed by trained lay interviewers between 2001–2002 and 2003–2004. Although the effects of childhood adversity diminished with the inclusion of confounding variables, several adversities remained significant. For bullying, these included being made to do chores that were too difficult or dangerous, threatening to hit or throw something, pushing, shoving, slapping, or hitting, and hitting that left bruises, marks, or injuries. With respect to cruelty to animals, swearing and saying hurtful things, having a parent or other adult living within the home that went to jail or prison, and adult/other person fondling/touching in a sexual way were significant. The final models indicated that the cumulative burden of childhood adversities had strong effects on the increased likelihood of bullying behavior but not cruelty to animals.
Keywords: aggression, bullying, animal cruelty, child abuse and neglect, childhood risk, violence

Bullying and cruelty to animals are two forms of aggressive behavior that have steadily garnered increased attention. Bullying behavior can be defined as repeatedly harming or intimidating persons with less power than oneself, whereas cruelty to animals is the treatment of animals (also with less power) that results in unjustifiable injury, harm or suffering, and death (Cook, Williams, Guerra, Kim, & Sadek, 2010). Both bullying behavior and cruelty to animals typically begin in childhood and are associated with aggression and violence in adulthood (Arluke, Levin, Luke, & Ascione, 1999; Miller & Knutson, 1997).

Approximately 30% of youth in the United States are affected by bullying (Douglas, Ressler, Burgess, & Hartman, 1986; Nansel et al., 2001). Bullies intimidate through physical aggression and verbal threats (Arluke et al., 1999). Longitudinal research has identified several consequences for victims of bullying that include a host of psychosocial adjustment dysfunctions (Espelage & Swearer, 2003; Nansel et al., 2001; Ressler, Douglas, Groth, & Burgess, 1980), even school problems (Currie, 2006), and interpersonal deficits (Duncan, Thomas, & Miller, 2005). Victimization by bullies during childhood has been linked to depression, conduct disorder, and attention deficit disorder (Duncan, 2002; Petersen & Farrington, 2007). Although bullying generally has an onset during childhood and adolescence (Felthous & Kellert, 1987), it can also become chronic with youthful bullies continuing to bully others as adults (Arluke et al., 1999; Einarssen & Skogstad, 1996; Espelage & Swearer, 2003; Ireland, 1999, 2001; Miller & Knutson, 1997; Oliver, Hoover, & Hazler, 1994).

Systematic research on cruelty to animals began to emerge in the 1980s (Douglas et al., 1986; Ressler et al., 1980). In 1987, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., revised [DSM-III-R]; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) incorporated cruelty to animals as a diagnostic criterion for conduct disorder (CD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Much greater research exists on the etiology of bullying compared with cruelty to animals. Extant research suggests that cruelty to animals is linked to exposure to criminogenic environments (Currie, 2006; Duncan, 2002; Duncan et al., 2005; Petersen & Farrington, 2007), observing cruelty to animals (Thompson & Gullone, 2006), and receiving physical punishment in childhood (Flynn, 1999; Miller, 2001). Other studies have linked animal cruelty to additional extreme forms of criminal offending including arson, bestiality, and violent interpersonal assault (Becer, Stuewig, Herrera, & McCloskey, 2004; Hensley & Tallichet, 2005, 2008; Hensley, Tallichet, & Dutkiewicz, 2009, 2010; Hensley, Tallichet, & Singer, 2006; Merz-Perez & Heide, 2004; Merz-Perez, Heide, & Silverman, 2001).

One important characteristic that may distinguish persons who bully from those who are cruel to animals is a deficit in the ability to empathize (Cook et al., 2010; Felthous & Kellert, 1987; Petersen & Farrington, 2007). A recent meta-analysis of 153 studies of the predictors of bullying shows that bullies exhibit both externalizing and internalizing symptoms, such as academic problems, negative views of others, poor conflict-resolution skills, susceptibility to peer influence, and often come from families experiencing disruption and are poorly monitored (Cook et al., 2010). Whereas bullying may have its etiological roots in social learning (i.e., learning and employing techniques that facilitate getting what one wants) and exposure to environmental adversity, cruelty to animals may involve a greater propensity toward callous unemotionality and sadism (i.e., enjoyment of inflicting pain and suffering on an animal). This is not to suggest that learning to be cruel to animals does not occur as this has shown to be plausible (Hensley & Tallichet, 2005) but that animal abuse likely involves a greater degree of callousness and uncaring. Indeed, prior research has suggested empathy deficits as a component of the animal abuser profile (Merz-Perez, & Heide, 2004; Tallichet & Hensley, 2009). As such, effects of exposure to childhood adversities (CAs) might have less effect on persons who are cruel to animals than bullies. Examining the relationship of CAs to bullying and cruelty to animals would, therefore, help to shed light on the developmental origins of these two forms of aggression.
Effects Of Animal Abuse
Effects Of Animal Abuse
Effects Of Animal Abuse
Effects Of Animal Abuse
Effects Of Animal Abuse
Effects Of Animal Abuse
Effects Of Animal Abuse
Effects Of Animal Abuse
Effects Of Animal Abuse
Effects Of Animal Abuse
Effects Of Animal Abuse

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