Few studies have examined childhood and adolescent animal cruelty motives. Using a sample of 261 inmates surveyed at both medium and maximum security prisons ina southern state, the present study examined the impact of demographic attributes and situational factors relating specifically to a range of animal cruelty motivations. Almost half of the inmates who engaged in animal abuse reported committing some of the acts out of anger, whereas more than a third did so for fun. Regression analyses revealed that the most statistically salient variable in 7 of the 10 motivational models was whether animal cruelty was committed alone. Respondentswho reported hurting or killing animals alone were more likely to commit the acts out of anger but less likely to have committed them to impress others, for sex, or to imitate others.
Agnew, R. (1998). The causes of animal abuse: A social-psychological analysis. Theoretical Criminology, 2(2), 177-209.
2.
American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(3rd ed., revised). Washington, DC: Author.
3.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
4.
Arluke, A., Levin, J., Luke, C.,& Ascione, F. R. (1999). The relationship of animal abuse to violence and other forms of antisocial behavior. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14(9), 963-976.
5.
Arluke, A., & Lockwood, R. (1997). Guest editor's introduction: Understanding cruelty to animals. Society and Animals, 5, 183-193.
6.
Ascione, F. R. (1993). Children who are cruel to animals: A review of research and implications for developmental psychopathology. Anthrozoos, 6, 226-247.
7.
Ascione, F. R. (1998). Battered women's reports of their partners' and their children's cruelty to animals. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 1, 119-133.
8.
Ascione, F. R. (2001, September). Animal abuse and youth violence. Juvenile Justice Bulletin, pp. 1-15.
9.
Ascione, F. R.,& Lockwood, R. (2001). Cruelty to animals: Changing psychological, social, and legislative perspectives. In D. J. Salem& A. N. Rowan (Eds.), State of the animals 2000(pp. 39-53). Washington, DC: Humane Society.
10.
Ascione, F. R., Thompson, T. M., & Black, T. (1997). Childhood cruelty to animals: Assessing cruelty dimensions and motivations. Anthrozoos, 10(4), 170-197.
11.
DeViney, E., Dickert, J.,& Lockwood, R. (1983). The care of pets within abusing families. International Journal of the Study of Animal Problems, 4, 321-329.
12.
Felthous, A. R. (1980). Aggression against cats, dogs, and people. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 10(3), 169-177.
13.
Felthous, A. R., & Kellert, S. R. (1987). Childhood cruelty to animals and later aggression against people: A review. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 710-717.
14.
Felthous, A. R., & Yudowitz, B. (1977). Approaching a comparative typology of assaultive female offenders. Psychiatry, 40, 270-276.
15.
Frasch, P. D., Otto, S. K., Olsen, K. M.,& Ernest, P. A. (1999). State animal anti-cruelty statutes: An overview. Animal Law, 5, 69-80.
16.
Hellman, D. S.,& Blackman, N. (1966). Enuresis, firesetting and cruelty to animals: Atriad predictive of adult crime. American Journal of Psychiatry, 122, 1431-1435.
17.
Hensley, C., Rutland, S., & Gray-Ray, P. (2000). Inmate attitudes toward the conjugal visitation program in Mississippi prisons: Anexploratory study. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 25(1), 137-145.
18.
Kellert, S. R.,& Felthous, A. R. (1985). Childhood cruelty toward animals among criminals and noncriminals. Human Relations, 38, 1113-1129.
19.
Lacroix, C. A. (1998). Another weapon for combating family violence: Prevention of animal abuse. Animal Law, 4, 1-32.
20.
Lockwood, R., & Ascione, F. R. (1998). Cruelty to animals and interpersonal violence. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press.
21.
Merz-Perez, L., & Heide, K. M. (2003). Animal cruelty: Pathway to violence against people. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
22.
Merz-Perez, L., Heide, K. M.,& Silverman, I. J. (2001). Childhood cruelty to animals and subsequent violence against humans. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 45(5), 556-573.
23.
Miller, K. S., & Knutson, J. F. (1997). Reports of severe physical punishment and exposure to animal cruelty by inmates convicted of felonies and by university students. Child Abuse and Neglect, 21(1), 59-82.
24.
Moffitt, T. E. (1997). Adolescence-limited and life-course persistent offending: A complementary pair of developmental theories. In T. P. Thornberry (Ed.), Developmental theories of crime and delinquency(pp. 11-54). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
25.
Tapia, F. (1971). Children who are cruel to animals. Clinical Psychiatry and Human Development, 2(2), 70-71.
26.
Wright, J.,& Hensley, C. (2003). From animal cruelty to serial murder: Applying the graduation hypothesis. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 47(1), 72-89.
