Materials

Hoffer, Tia A.; Hargreaves-Cormany, Holly; Muirhead, Yvonne; Meloy, J. Reid

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-91038-3_15

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Finally, due to the recruitment procedure for this study, it is possible that our sample of CAC is biased toward harm resulting from reactive aggression. The relevance of reactive and proactive aggression to CAC is an ongoing discussion (Henry, 2018; Hoffer et al., 2018), but given that these forms of aggression may correlate with specific disorders, such as CD and broader externalizing problems with reactive aggression, and psychopathy with proactive aggression (Kempes et al., 2005), it may be important to distinguish between them. If these two forms of aggression apply to CAC, it is possible that the sampling procedure, which relied on caregiver referral, may favor the identification of more reactive types of animal harm.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Henry (2018) also makes a distinction between reactive aggression, which is emotionally driven and often in response to provocation, and proactive aggression, which is “instrumental in nature” and often more premeditated (i.e., in pursuit of a goal, also known as predatory aggression). This is potentially important as different sociocognitive processes and/or developmental pathways may underlie the two different forms of aggression (see Hoffer et al., 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Qualitative Study of Children’s Accounts of Cruelty to Animals: Uncovering the Roles of Trauma, Exposure to Violence, and Attachment

Wauthier

Williams

2020

J Interpers Violence

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Childhood animal cruelty (CAC) is a risk for later interpersonal violence and a red flag for other forms of violence in the household, yet very few studies have spoken to children directly about their cruelty to animals. Animal Guardians (AG) is a humane education program run by the Scottish SPCA for children of age 5 to 12 years who have been cruel to animals or deemed at-risk. This research investigated how children referred to AG spoke about their experiences of animal cruelty and factors surrounding it. Research consent was obtained for 10 children (average age = 8.8 years, n = 9 males), referred concerning cruel/at-risk behavior toward their pets. The interview schedule combined techniques such as crafts, vignettes, open questions, and standardized measures. Interviews were qualitatively analyzed using content analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Content analysis suggested that referred children (a) tended to have small attachment networks which often included pets, (b) tended to interpret ambiguous situations predominately negatively, (c) tended to like animals and see them as sentient, and (d) struggled admitting to cruelty. Three main superordinate themes emerged from the IPA: (a) Bonding to animals, (b) Exposure to/normalization of violence, and (c) Signs of emotional issues/trauma. Children who were referred for animal cruelty toward their pets were from vulnerable backgrounds, often had complex backdrops to their at-risk or cruel behavior, and sometimes had trouble regulating their emotions and behaviors. Programs hoping to address CAC should be aware of these complex emotional, psychological, and behavioral factors, tailoring interventions accordingly.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%