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The sections of this program
include:
The
Link Between Animal Cruelty & Family Violence
Studies and stories have documented a link between child abuse/neglect
and animal cruelty. In homes across America, where child abuse and/or
battering occur, cruelty to a pet is likely.
A New Jersey study of families reported for child abuse, found that 88%
of these families had at least one person who abused animals. In these
families, two-thirds of the time it was the abusive parent who had injured
or killed a pet. In the remaining third it was the children who harmed
the pets.
A history of animal abuse was found in 25% of aggressive male criminals,
30% of convicted child molesters, 36% of those assaulting women, and 46%
of those convicted of sexual homicide.
Family violence is an unacknowledged epidemic in this country. It affects
all members of a household. Battered women have reported that concern
for family pets has affected their decisions to go to a shelter. Abusers
use the love and concern for animals to control the behavior of other
family members.
Not only does a child repeat what she/he sees, hears or experiences, studies
have shown that children who are abused are more likely to abuse or neglect
a pet. For this reason, and many others, child abuse agencies have joined
agencies that work on domestic violence and animal cruelty. Physical,
sexual, verbal and emotional abuse should never be tolerated, whether
it is directed at an adult or an animal.
Committee
Members
The Remember Our Children Committee
is comprised of a number of organizations including Prevent Child Abuse
Ohio (Chair), Animal Outreach, Alcohol, Drug, Addiction & Mental Health
Services Board of Tuscarawas and Carroll Counties, The Center For Effective
Discipline, Franklin County Children Services, The Humane Society of the
United States, The Legacy For Children Foundation, Montgomery County Children
Services, and Parents Anonymous of Central Ohio with the committee’s
goal to increase awareness on the link between animal cruelty and family
violence.
Overview
of Initiatives
This committee first addressed
this issue in 2001 due to a generous grant from The Ohio Children’s
Trust Fund which allowed presentations to be provided to middle school
and high school aged children in local schools, after school programs
and summer programs; participation in the 2002 Pooch Parade; and a professional
workshop taught by Barbara Boat, PhD to social workers and community members.
Other accomplishments from 2002 included a public service announcement
filmed with Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo and Jennifer Jellison,
DVM on the importance of parenting.
Other initiatives include educational workshops on the link between animal
cruelty and family violence for professionals, sponsorship of the annual
Worthington Pooch Parade, and
a second public service announcement filmed with Jack Hanna and Jennifer
Jellison.
If you are interested in viewing the public service announcements filmed
for this campaign, visit one of the following: PSA
1, PSA 2.
Prevent Child Abuse Ohio has a variety of information about the linkage
between animal abuse and family violence and has a training sessions on
this topic for professionals (including mandated reporters) and community
members. If you are interested in more information, please call our office
at (614) 722-6800.
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