The Animal-Abuse Syndrome

I have spent the day lounging and napping, aside from a trip to get some food. yay for surprise days off! I was too close to the cap so they had to let me have a day off. Boy did I need it! I have been too tired to do much of anything.

Anyway there is an article in the New York Times magazine that I read today about the close link between abuse of animals and abuse of humans. I thought someone might be interested to read it. Abusing the family pets to keep family members in line is one of those things that happens, although I hadn't thought of it. That's why it is important to report animal abuse. Plus people who abuse animals often move on to abusing humans. Here is the article:

The Animal-Abuse Syndrome

It is the attitude of violence for entertainment.

To a certain extent, we all participate in it. We are upper level predators, after all. We kill to survive, kill or hurt to protect, etc. Some members of our species just do so because they like the process.

Until we understand ourselves, this will be an ongoing problem.

all

Hmmm...I think this smacks to me more of violence as a means of control.

Friend of mine left her husband when he put his fist through the wall inches from her head. She said she knew it wouldn't be long before he didn't deliberately miss.

That's it, I think. It sickens me to think that a man (or woman for that matter) would hurt and threaten to kill a child's dog or cat if s/he misbehaved or told about sexual or physical abuse. What a sick power trip. And of course those children grow up to be abusive themselves, so often. They said in the article that in abusive families like that have many animals but seldom are any over 2 years old. Short lives snuffed out.

It makes sense.

I saw it with my ex -- violence (or threats of violence) against my possessions, my family, my pets. Violence against me, should I continue to refuse whatever his demand was, was never far behind.

ALWAYS report animal abuse. And even if you're not that bothered about animals, I'll tell you another reason you should: You may be turning in a nascent serial killer. Animal abuse, after the development of externalised empathy at about seven or eight, is one of what's called the "homicidal triad". That is, three features that occur in the background of virtually every serial murderer ever know. The full triad is bedwetting (beyond the age at which that's common), animal abuse (especially if it lasts into adulthood) and arson.

In the case of animal abuse, violence directed at a creature which is able to register it's pain but not to fight back, contributes to a developing sense of invulnerability with regard to societal rules and norms. It's fairly easy to see how that esculates into abuse of humans.

We're not talking about hunting here. Any decent hunter will go out of their way to firstly, ensure the safety of themselves and their party, and secondly, minimise any pain caused to the prey. That's not what we're discussing here. Here, we're talking about the deliberate infliction of pain either for control or for sheer sadism. The latter correlates strongly with criminal violence, the former does not.

On a more personal note: Anyone who threatened my cats would be dead before they hit the floor. And on the days when my mind is working somewhat, I'm working on a degree in criminology.

Ebon wrote:ALWAYS report animal abuse. And even if you're not that bothered about animals, I'll tell you another reason you should: You may be turning in a nascent serial killer. Animal abuse, after the development of externalised empathy at about seven or eight, is one of what's called the "homicidal triad". That is, three features that occur in the background of virtually every serial murderer ever know. The full triad is bedwetting (beyond the age at which that's common), animal abuse (especially if it lasts into adulthood) and arson.

In the case of animal abuse, violence directed at a creature which is able to register it's pain but not to fight back, contributes to a developing sense of invulnerability with regard to societal rules and norms. It's fairly easy to see how that esculates into abuse of humans.

True, Ebon, which is why I was profoundly disturbed when a recent transfer student to one of my English classes submitted a composition about how much "fun" he and his friends where he used to live in Texas had had catching cats, dousing them with gasoline and setting them afire to watch the cats run until they died.

I put a "See me about this" note on it and explained to the young man that I found what he'd written very distressing, so much so that I could not begin to evaluate the writing for a grade. I asked him to write about something else...and got instead a conference from the aunt with whom he was living excusing away his subject matter as "just writing about how much he misses his friends and all."

I asked her if it didn't bother her somewhat that he'd chosen to write about vicious cruelty to animals.

She explained that that wasn't what he meant by the piece. He was wanting to get across how much he enjoyed hanging out with his friends and how much he misses them.

Yah...riiiighhht. It was pointless trying to get past her defense of her nephew. I quickly concluded the conversation when she added that it was unreasonable of me to refuse to grade the piece. Maybe so, but it frankly turned my stomach.

Unfortunately, there was really nothing more I could do beyond alerting the school counselor who understood my reluctance to grade the paper.

Not long after that, this student either ran away or went back to live with his parents. I never learned which but wonder all these many years later how he turned out.

And this, ladies and gentles, is why we don't catch the bastards before they start slicing up hookers.

I really, really dread to think what happened to him.

Ebon wrote:
On a more personal note: Anyone who threatened my cats would be dead before they hit the floor.

Hah, me too.

And on the days when my mind is working somewhat, I'm working on a degree in criminology.

Good for you, Ebon. I'm slowly getting there. Well, actually, my degree's in criminal justice. The psychology aspect (criminology/victimology) is interesting for a mild bit but not something I like to sink my teeth into.

Here's a new book I desperately want to read, but can't bear to spend $20 on:

http://www.amazon.com/Poisoners-Handbook-Murder-Forensic-Medicine/dp/1594202435/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276977787&sr=1-5

Might have to check the local library, or wait until it goes on the bargain book table.

TigersEyeDowsing wrote: Good for you, Ebon. I'm slowly getting there. Well, actually, my degree's in criminal justice. The psychology aspect (criminology/victimology) is interesting for a mild bit but not something I like to sink my teeth into.

I'm exactly the opposite, the psychological aspect is the part I live for. The worst part is that, because the Open University (very old, very respectable distance-learning institute here) classifies all the psychology sub-disciplines under "Humanities", I have to take Intro to Sociology. Sociology is, without a doubt, the single dullest, most boring thing I have ever studied (and I made it through advanced contract law).

I love sociology! Those were some of my favorite classes in college. Does that make me a geek?

Yep, you're a geek. But that's fine. Most of us are geeks here.

Ebon wrote:
I'm exactly the opposite, the psychological aspect is the part I live for. The worst part is that, because the Open University (very old, very respectable distance-learning institute here) classifies all the psychology sub-disciplines under "Humanities", I have to take Intro to Sociology. Sociology is, without a doubt, the single dullest, most boring thing I have ever studied (and I made it through advanced contract law).

Sociology turned out to be one of the most interesting classes I had in college. It's one of the fields that, looking back, I suspect would have proven more beneficial for me to have majored in when speaking of employment.

OK, I'm the weird one then.

No, I didn't like sociology much. I liked psychology a little better but what I lived for were my anthropology and archeology classes.

Me, too, Ebon. I dipped into a sociology textbook when having to choose classes at one point and quickly decided it would bore the complete crap out of me.

So, I got into econ instead. That DID bore me beyond all recognition, so much so that I barely managed to study enough to pass.

Sadly, it's mandatory. *sigh* Roll on next semester when I get Crime, Youth and Age instead.