Childhood Animal Abuse

It is absolutely critical for a child to form a secure attachment for their development:when a child is unable to form a secure attachment they become a risk in numerous way. The ability to form secure attachments is critical to a child’s development; children who cannot form secure attachments may be at risk in numerous ways. For example, they may have a higher risk for language and learning disorders. And they have limited abilities in forming and enjoying stable relationships. When the common bond between animal and child is nurtured, many benefits are able to form for the child, the animal, and even the community.

Nevertheless, there are times when the bond is ruptured by real or threatened violence in family or by neglect in the family. At this point is when the child’s whole life changes and not only does the child pay a price but the whole community does as well whether the abuse that they witnessed was directed at a parent, sibling, or pet many times the child pay the rest of their lives. And now more than ever these children are at a risk for developing behavioral problems, failing academically, and engaging in delinquent and criminal behavior.

As we take a look at history it is replete with many serial killers who started out abusing animals.Studies show that a child who is cruel to animals is a sign that serious abuse or neglect has been apart of the child’s life. This abuse or neglect can lead to problems later on in the child’s life, potentially this child can develop things like schizophrenia, depression, dissociative disorder. Or they may begin the abuse of drugs to help with trauma.

Robert K. Ressler tells us that “Murders.. Very often started out with torturing animals in their childhood.

Looking into a few of these murders we have Albert Desalvo (A.K.A “The Boston Strangler”), who killed 13 women, but in his youth he would trapped dogs and cats in a box and shot arrows at them. And Jeffrey Dahmer started out as a child by impaling frogs,cats, and dogs and put their heads on sticks.

Children almost always start abusing animal due the abuse that they are inflicted at home they want to teach the animal the same lesson that they are learning at home. When we take a look into abusive household, the abuser targets the powerless, often crimes against animal, spouses, children, and the elderly go hand in hand with one another. Eventually the child begins to feel helpless and begins projecting the abuse.

Some believe otherwise though, in an article from 2003 researchers reject the idea that children who are cruel to animal will escalate to more violent behaviors. They also suggest that those who abuse animals are just going through a phase and will grow out of it.

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