This document discusses the connection between animal abuse and human violence. It notes that over 50% of violent offenders began by abusing animals as children. Animal abuse is a predictor of future violence and is often linked to child abuse, domestic violence, and serial killers. The document provides statistics and studies on juvenile violence, school shootings, domestic violence, psychiatric patients, and serial killers that show strong correlations with childhood animal cruelty. It argues that taking animal cruelty more seriously could help prevent future human violence.

1. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN
ANIMAL ABUSE
AND
HUMAN VIOLENCE
Dr. Harold J. Hovel
NY State Humane Association
Serial killer Edmund Kemper
(This material was developed by the New York State Humane
Association and is being used with their permission.)

2. INTRODUCTION and SUMMARY
Animal Cruelty is:
• a predictor of future violence
• an identifier of likely suspects
• an indicator of child, spouse, or elder abuse
• a crime in itself (felony in 46 states)
Over 50% of violent offenders began with animal abuse.
Violent offenders are made, not born.

5. Reasons To Care About Animal Cruelty
Fighting Animal Cruelty Would:
• save many human lives
• prevent much human suffering
• prevent much animal suffering
• result in the betterment of society
• protect children
• protect women
• protect elders
• save many billions of dollars

6. OUTLINE
• Facts & Figures
• Background
• Early Years: Juvenile Crime
• Adolescent Years
• Adult Violent Crime, Psychiatric Problems
• Empowerment & Summary

7. In The Past 5 Years:
175 Deaths Have Taken Place in School
10,000 Murders Have Been Committed By Serial Killers
800,000 Children Abused With Serious Injury; 10,000 Killed
20,000 Children Have Committed Murder
25,000 Children Have Committed Suicide
115,000 Homicides
3 Million Child Abuse, Neglect, or Abandonment
5 Million Assaults Against Elders
15 Million Assaults Against Women
30 Million Violent Crimes Overall

8. The Yearly Cost Of Crime
Direct Monetary Losses - $ 50 Billion
Indirect Monetary Losses - $ 280 Billion
Adjudication Costs - $ 30 - 50 Billion
Total Costs To Society of Violent Crime:
$400 - 450 Billion
Source: National Research Council, Nat. Academy Of
Sciences

9. Perspectives on Cruelty and Human Violence
As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer
of lower living beings, he will never know peace. For
as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each
other. - Pythagoras, 600BC
If you have men who will exclude any of God’s
creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you
will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow
men. -- St. Francis of Assisi, 1181.

10. Definitions of Animal Cruelty
Legally, animal cruelty is defined as “Socially Unacceptable
Behavior That Intentionally Causes Unnecessary Pain,
Suffering, or Distress To And / Or Death Of An Animal.”
Most Common Forms of Abuse: Excessive punishment;
Chaining; Abandonment; Failure to provide sustenance.
Pathological Cruelty To Animals: Beating; Torturing;
Burning; Scalding; Freezing, Skinning; Bone Breaking;
Whipping; Amputation; Electric Prodding; Mutilation;
Freezing; Killing; Fighting.
Misdemeanor in 4 states, felony in 46 states (2010).

11. Juvenile Crime

12. Juvenile Violence
Each year, 4000 kids under 18 murder others.
Each year, 5000 kids commit suicide.

13. Violent juveniles have almost invariably witnessed or
been victims of domestic violence, abandonment,
neglect, physical abuse, or sexual abuse.
“One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a
child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it.”
Margaret Mead, Anthropologist, Cultural Factors in
the Cause and Prevention of Pathological Homicide.

14. There is a very high correlation
of violent children with 3 specific
behaviors:
•Enuresis
•Fire-setting
•Cruelty to animals

15. The Desensitization of the Developing Child
“The impact of parental neglect and
brutality during the formative years
cannot be overlooked. In addition to
the effect of neglect and brutality on
ego development, brutality fosters
resentment and assaultiveness as a
defense and coping mechanism.”
Felthous & Yudowitz, Psychiatry 40, 270-276, 1977.

18. Set cats on fire, blew up a cow,
etc.
• The Killer at Thurston High

19. Bullying - An Unrecognized Form of Domestic Violence
Bullying - an assault, physical or psychological, against
those perceived as “weaker” in some way.
40% - 60% of children are bullied at some time. 160,000
skip school each day from fear.
4 million serious bullying incidents take place per year.
Bullies are more likely to have been abused or witnessed
domestic violence than non-aggressive children.
Many bullies continue violent behavior as adults, including
child abuse and domestic violence. 6 out of 10 go on to
become criminals. 40% are convicted of 3 or more crimes
by age 30.

20. Bullying And Animal Cruelty
Victims of bullying are either filled with rage or
become traumatized, depressed, scared. Many
attempt suicide to escape.
Bullies are often closely associated with animal
cruelty. Cruel behavior is an indicator of either a
bully or a victim displaying anger against the
bullying.
The school shooters were either bullies (Kinkle,
Johnson) or victims of bullies (Carneal, Woodham,
Harris and Klebold. Nearly all the school shooters
were torturing animals and many bragged about it.

21. SCHOOLYARD KILLERS

22. School Shootings, Partial List.
1. Brenda Spencer, 16, San Diego, killed 2, injured 9. C
2. Nathan Faris, 12, DeKalb County, MI, killed 2. B
3. Jason Harless, 16, Pinellas Park, FL, killed 1, wounded 2.
4. Nicholas Elliott, 15, Virginia Beach, VA, killed 1, wounded 1. B
5. Gary Pennington, 17, Grayson KT, killed 2.
6. Jason Smith, 15, Red Hill, PA, killed 1 during biology class. B
7. James Osmanson, 10, Butte, MT, killed 1. B
8. Jamie Rouse, 18, Columbia, TN, killed 2, wounded 1.
9. Barry Loukatis, 14, Moses Lake, WA, killed 3, wounded 1. B C
10. Evan Ramsey, 15, Bethel, Alaska, killed 2, wounded 1. B
C
11. Michael Carneal, 14, Paducah, KT, killed 3, wounded 5. B
12. E. Harris, 18, D. Klebold,17, Littleton, CO, kill 13, wounded 23. B C
B
13. Joseph Todd, 14, Stamps, Arkansas, wounded 2.
14. T. J. Solomon, 15, Conyers, GA, wounded 6. B C
15. Kip Kinkle, 15, Springfield, OR, killed 4, wounded 25. B
16. Luke Woodham, 16, Pearl, Miss., killed 2, wounded 7. B C
17. M. Johnson,13, A.Golden,11 Jonesboro, AR, killed 5, wounded 10 B C
18. Kevin Foster, 18, Fort Myers, FL, killed 1, violence rampage. C

23. Studies of Violent Behavior Patterns
State & Federal Prisons
Psychiatric Hospitals & Out-patient Facilities
Battered Women’s Shelters & Abused Child Clinics
Social Services - Studies of Families Involved In
Domestic Violence
Interviews With Serial Killers
Studies of Satanic Groups, Cults

24. Prison Inmates
Rapists - - - - - - - - 48% started by abusing animals
Sexual Murderers - 46% started by abusing animals
Aggravated Assault - 52% started by abusing animals
Pedophiles - - - - - - 30% started by abusing animals
Serial Killers - - - - - 100% started by abusing animals
75% of all violent criminals were abused as children

25. Psychiatric Studies
Studies of psychiatric patients who had repeatedly tortured
dogs and cats: 100% were also violent to people, including,
in some cases, murder. 100% shared a history of brutal
parental treatment. Felthous (1986)
Studies of 346 psychiatric patients: 80% had a history of
brutal punishments by father, mother, or both. The group
that had abused animals had a high level of violence against
people as well. Felthous (1980)

26. Conclusion: more than a dozen studies of violent
criminals and psychiatric patients have established a
firm relationship between cruelty to animals during
childhood and later recurring violence to humans.

28. Dog Fighting: Direct Link Between Crime, Human
Violence, and Cruelty
Crime Associated With Dog Fighting:
Felony in 50 states
Gambling, Drugs, Guns, Human Violence, Child
Endangerment, Stolen Pets, Gang Violence
Cruelty:
Injuries, often fatal, blood loss, shock, dehydration,
exhaustion, infection, broken bones, gouged eyes
Small animals: dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, terrorized
and torn to pieces while used as “bait” during
training

29. Animal Fighting is on the rise (an epidemic?)
Organized dog and cock fighting, street fighting,
hog-dog “rodeos.”
“Hog-dog “fights” are barbarically cruel events
where a trained attack dog mauls a defenseless hog
whose tusks have been removed.” –HSUS observer.
This bloodsport is closely connected to other crimes
and forms of violence in addition to cruelty to
animals. - HSUS

30. These fights are billed as “family entertainment “
where mothers and children are seen cheering on
the attacking dogs as they mutilate and terrorize
the defenseless pigs.

31. People and animals at greatly increased risk where
fighting dogs and trained attack dogs live.
Children and pets especially at risk due to small size.
15-18 fatal dog attacks take place per year.
70% are children under 9 years old, 52% are 4
years old or less, and 16% are less than 1 year old.

33. More danger of animal fighting to humans?
‘Don’t be surprised if the deadly avian flu enters the
United States through roosters smuggled into the
country for the barbaric sport of cockfighting,’
Hon. Elton Gallegly, senior member of the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence, US Congress.
‘ The initial explosion of the deadly avian flu in 2004 was
traced to the trade in live birds for commerce. The
riskiest segment may be in fighting cocks, transported
throughout countries and between countries to participate
in the high stakes betting blood sport’
Michael Greger, M.D., HSUS Director of Public Health and
Animal Agriculture.

34. Animal Abuse and Family Problems
23 families were studied with known animal cruelty. 83% also had
children at risk of abuse or neglect. Hutton (1983).
57 families were studied with known child abuse. 88% were also
involved in animal cruelty. The parents were the abusers in 2/3 of
the cases; the children had learned to abuse in the other 1/3.
Deviny, Dickert, and Lockwood (1983). Ascione (1994).
Why? Adults in abusive families torture animals to: punish children;
force a desired behavior; punish a spouse; as a threat to enforce
silence. Often accompanied by physical or sexual abuse of the child.

35. Animal Abuse and Battered Women
Ascione (1998) Battered Women’s Reports
71% reported that their partner had threatened to
torture or kill their pet or had already done so.
In Wisconsin, 80% of battered women reported animal
abuse by their partner.
Estimate of yearly assault of women by partner: 3
million.

36. Animal Abuse and Elder Abuse
About 1 in 20 elders is abused.
Studies indicate that animal abuse is a strong indicator
of elder abuse in homes with elder citizens.
The reverse is also true: elder abuse is a strong predictor
of animal abuse.
Elders often remain silent in spite of personal abuse for
fear of retaliation against their pet, often their only
friend and companion.

37. Ritual Abuse and Cults
Gang Initiations - torture and killing of animals as
initiation into a violent teenage gang.
Ritualized Criminal “Families” - Charles Manson
Young et al (1991) “Pathological Satanic Groups”
Studied psychiatric patients reporting abuse as children
by satanic cults, characterized by:
Forced Drug Use
Deviant Sex Acts
Animal Torture, Mutilation, Killing
Infant, Child, or Adult Sacrifice
“Marriage” to Satan
Death Threats

38. The Worst of the Worst
Serial Killers

39. Indicators / Predictors of Serial Killers
• Brutal Treatment By • Head Injuries; Malnutrition;
Suicidal Tendencies;
Parents and / or Enuresis
Neglect, • Fascination With Criminals,
Abandonment Nazis & Hitler, Satanists
• Cruelty To Animals • Early Trouble With The
Juvenile Justice System
• Violent to Peers,
• Chronic Drug or Alcohol
Siblings Abuse
• Firestarting • Deviate Sexual Behavior

40. Edmund Kemper
Beaten and abused by his father.
Neglected and abandoned by his
parents, neglected also by his
grandparents.
Began torturing small animals,
especially cats, at age 13.
Killed his grandparents at 15,
served in prison until 21, killed 7
college girls between 21 and 24,
killed his mother at 25, blaming
her for his hatred of women.

41. SERIAL KILLERS
NAME CRIMES CHILDHOOD ANIMALS
David Berkowitz 6 Murders, 1400 fires. Abandoned. Yes; Tortured as child.
Ian Duncan Brady 5 Torture / Murders. Abandoned. Yes; by age 9.
Ted Bundy 36-50 Murders of Co-eds. Violent grandfather. Yes; as adolescent.
David Carpenter 10 Murders, children. Beaten by both parents Yes; starting as teenager
Jeffrey Dahmer 17 Murders of boys. Violent household Yes; Impaled on stakes.
Albert DeSalvo 13 Murders, 300 rapes Violent father Yes; shot with arrows
Albert Hamil. Fish 15 Murders, 100 rapes. Constantly Beaten. Yes; set on fire.
Edmund Kemper 10 Murders Abused, abandoned. Yes; mutilated, buried alive
Peter Kurten 15 Murders, 30 attemps. Violently Beaten. Yes; beastiality, sadism
Leonard Lake 8 Murders, Torture Pit. Abused by father & gf. Yes; killed & bolied.
Henry Lee Lucas 110 - 200 Murders. Constant beatings. Yes; severe torture.
Charles Manson 35 Murders Constantly beaten, raped Yes; ritual sacrifices
Patrick Kay 11 Murders after Rapes. Abused by father Yes; tortured own pets.
Arthur Shawcross 13 Murders, Rapes, Abused by mother. Yes; tortured by age 10.
Arson

42. In recent years, the number of killers, the number of victims
per killer, and the savagery of the crimes, have all increased.
1000-5000 people lose their lives each year to serial killers.
The FBI estimates there are at least 500 serial killers currently
at large and unidentified in the United States. There are
presently 35 under investigation by the FBI.
The government spends hundreds of millions of $ on
apprehending serial killers but almost nothing on prevention,
therefore not making a significant dent in preventing new
serial killers from emerging.
If police, prosecutors, judges, social services, teachers, child
welfare, guidance counselors, paid close attention to the
predictive factors, many lives could be saved and many killers /
rapists stopped before they start.

43. In Summary: There’s a close connection between
animal cruelty and:
Juvenile Violence School Shooters
Child Abusers Domestic Violence
Rapists Pedophiles
Aggravated Assault Gang Violence, Bullies
Elder Abuse Violent Psychiatric Patients
Sexual Murderers Serial Killers
Nearly all violent individuals were abused as children.

44. Making a Difference: Breaking The Cycle
Public:
Let police, prosecutors, and judges know you want cruelty cases
prosecuted vigorously.
Spread the word about the cruelty / human violence connection.
Sponsor a speaker at your community group, PTA, church, etc.
Write a “letter to the editor” expressing your views on cruelty.
Mention its connection to human violence.
Report abuses you become aware of to the local humane society,
SPCA, or police.
Educate those who might be committing cruel behavior through
ignorance.

45. Making a Difference: Breaking The Cycle (cont)
Teachers: sponsor / support humane education programs in
schools. Do not allow bullying behavior.
Law enforcement, prosecutors, judges: recognize the seriousness of
animal cruelty and the need for corrective action.
Social workers, teachers, guidance counselors, humane society
officers, medical professionals, veterinarians, church officials, if
you become aware of either animal abuse or domestic abuse, report
it to proper authority.
Find out about the HSUS’s “First Strike” campaign and how you
can form or join an anti-violence coalition in your community.
Learn more about your state’s cruelty laws and how to use them.