WASHINGTON (April 12, 2001) -The Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS), as part of its First Strike™ Campaign, has
released the findings of a yearlong study on animal cruelty in
the United States. Results from the study show an extremely
high number of intentional cruelty cases were committed by male
teens under the age of eighteen. The research also shows that a
large number of cases of intentional animal cruelty also
involved some form of family violence whether domestic
violence, child abuse or elder abuse.
The HSUS, the nation's largest animal protection
organization with more than seven million constituents, is
releasing this information in recognition of the first annual
Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week, April 15-21. The
HSUS is the first organization to conduct a national study
examining the prevalence of human violence as it relates to
animal cruelty incidents. The HSUS seeks to turn the nation's
attention to the connection between abuse towards animals and
violence towards people, which as the study reveals, is a clear
and present problem in our society today.
The HSUS compiled information from more than 1600
high-profile animal cruelty cases nationwide that occurred
between January and December 2000. Reports came from
well-documented sources such as media reports and local humane
societies. Of these cases, more than 900 involved intentional
violence toward animals. The balance consisted of animal
cruelty that resulted from neglect. Among the findings:
· 94 percent of intentional animal cruelty incidents were
committed by males.
· 31 percent of the animal cruelty incidents were committed by
perpetrators age 18 and younger. (Four percent of those were
under age 12).
· 21 percent of intentional animal cruelty cases also involved
family violence.
Of all the animals abused in these cases, 76 percent of the
cases involved companion animals, 12 percent farm animals, 7
percent wildlife, and 5 percent involved multiple types of
animals. In 63 percent of all cases, animals were killed as a
result of violence or euthanized due to extensive injuries.
"The high percentage of male teenagers perpetrating
intentional acts of cruelty against animals, and the large
number of cruelty cases in which animal cruelty and family
violence coexisted, should be a red flag to anyone concerned
about reducing violence in our society," said Claire Ponder,
HSUS First Strike™ Campaign Manager. "You don't have to be an
animal lover to see that animal cruelty is a warning sign that
an individual could be involved in other violent crimes and
could pose a risk to family members as well as the larger
community. Our best hope for preventing violence against both
animals and people is early identification and intervention
with violent perpetrators."
The First Strike™ Campaign is an educational initiative
launched in 1997 to increase public and professional awareness
of the connection between animal cruelty and human violence and
to encourage professionals involved in antiviolence to work
together towards solutions.
Many criminals in this country, from the young school
shooters to the most notorious serial killers, have had a
history of cruelty to animals before turning their violence
onto people. Intervening early with a child who is abusing
animals can help prevent violent behavior from escalating.
Tackling animal cruelty usually involves a multitude of
resources including social workers, mental health and law
enforcement experts, and animal care and control professionals,
to address the associated problems with animal cruelty.
More and more lawmakers across the country are cracking down
on animal cruelty through state and local laws. Thirty-one
states and the District of Columbia have adopted felony-level
animal anti-cruelty laws, the majority having passed in the
last few years. Several states have passed laws mandating
psychological evaluation and counseling for convicted animal
abuses. This year, 18 states are working on felony cruelty
legislation and improving provisions within current felony
cruelty laws. Five states, Arizona, Florida, South Carolina,
Virginia and Massachusetts, have introduced bills that mandate
cross reporting between animal control officers and child
protective services.
