Psychological Effects of Animal Cruelty

HELLO, EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. I'M LIKE WALTER ANIMAL CRUELTY APPEARS TO BE ON THE RISE IN THE UNITED STATES. IT'S ESTIMATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 10 MILLION ANIMALS DIE FROM ABUSE OR CRUELTY EVERY YEAR. THAT'S ACCORDING TO A REPORT FROM THE SPCA. BUT THERE'S ANOTHER VICTIM IN THESE CASES, CHILDREN WHO WITNESSED THE ABUSE. A STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE FBI FOUND THAT CHILDREN AND THE PRESENCE OF ANIMAL ABUSE SUFFER SIGNIFICANT TRAUMA BECOME DESENSITIZED TO VIOLENCE AND HAVE A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF DISPLAYING VIOLENCE THEMSELVES. WGCU’S CULTURE AND CONNECTIONS. REPORTER ELIZABETH ANDARGE SAT DOWN WITH THE FLORID GULF COAST UNIVERSITY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR. SHE HAS BROUGHT HER CONCERNS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE UNITED NATIONS. >> I'M JOINED BY DOCTOR RUSHMIE LIGHTNING, CRIMINOLOGIST, AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CRIMINAL FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU, ELIZABETH. IT'S A REAL PLEASURE TO BE HERE. MOST PEOPLE HERE, ANIMAL CRUELTY AND THINK OF A NEGLECTED DOG OR A VIRAL VIDEO. BUT YOU'RE CONNECTING IT TO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DARKER. YEAH. WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT WHEN CHILDREN ARE IN THE PICTURE? >> SO I THINK BEFORE I CAN ANSWER THAT DIRECTLY, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ANIMAL CRUELTY IN AND OF ITSELF IS AN ABSOLUTE AWFUL PHENOMENA. WHEN IT COMES TO HOW ANIMAL CRUELTY IMPACTS CHILDREN IN THE WORLD AROUND THEM. THE LANE IS WHAT WE CALL THIS LINK AND THERE ARE 3 BIG DYNAMICS, TOO, THAT THE FIRST ONE IS PEOPLE WHO COMMIT ANIMAL CRUELTY, ESPECIALLY AS CHILDREN, PROACTIVE ANIMAL CRUELTY ARE MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT VIOLENCE AS THEY GET OLDER. AND WHILE THEIR CHILD. AND I THINK THIS IS WELL-KNOWN TO PEOPLE EVEN WHO DON'T STUDY THIS. THE OTHER LINK IS CHILDREN WHO ARE EXPOSED TO ANIMAL CRUELTY, ESPECIALLY SOCIETAL ANIMAL CRUELTY THAT'S CONDONED OR ANIMAL CRUELTY IN THE HOME. WHEN IT'S CHRONIC, THEY'RE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN VIOLENT BEHAVIOR AND SOME OF THEM ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE WHAT WE CALL INTERNALIZING SYMPTOM ALGAE. THAT'S A SHORT WAY OR A FANCY WAY OF SAYING THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES. SELF-HARM SUICIDALITY, NIGHTMARE, SLEEP PROBLEMS AND IT'S NOT NECESSARY THAT ONE CHILD, THE CHILDREN ARE GOING TO GO DOWN 2 DIFFERENT PATHS. THOSE PASS UNDER LINK. NOT ALL KIDS WHO ARE EXPOSED ARE GOING TO HAVE THIS KIND OF PROBLEMS. SOME KIDS WHO EXPERIENCE THAT ARE ACTUALLY YOU'LL SEE THEM IN FIELDS LIKE I AM OR OFFICERS, PEOPLE WHO ARE AND HELPING FEELS LIKE A VICTIM SERVICES. SO THEY MAY HAVE HIGHER EMPATHY AND THEY TAKE WHAT THEY'VE EXPERIENCED AND THEY MOVE THAT FORWARD. BUT FOR MANY KIDS, THAT'S NOT SITUATION. >> IT'S THEIR RESEARCH SUGGESTING KIDS EXPOSED TO ANIMAL CRUELTY ARE MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT VIOLENT CRIMES. 100%. IN FACT, ME AND MY COLLEAGUES, ONE OF THE STUDIES THAT WE DID >> WAS A SCOPING A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND THE BEST STUDIES WE COULD FIND THERE WAS 17 OF THEM 16 OUT OF 17 FOUND THAT CHILDREN WOULD HAVE SOME TYPE OF NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE DURING CHILDHOOD AND ADULTHOOD AND MORE THAN HALF OF THEM FOUND THAT THOSE KIDS WERE MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN VIOLENCE AGAINST OTHER PEOPLE, INCLUDING FAMILY MEMBERS. THE OTHER STUDIES FOUND THAT THEY WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE INTERNALIZING SYMPTOMS AND HAVE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ISSUES AND THAT WAS THE RESEARCH THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD, WHICH FINALLY INFORMED GENERAL COMMENT. 26 PARAGRAPH 23, WHICH SAYS THAT CHILDREN HAVE A RIGHT TO BE PROTECTED FROM ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE. AND THAT INCLUDES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ANIMAL CRUELTY. SO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM EXPERIENCE SEEING BE EXPOSED TO VIOLENCE AGAINST ANIMALS IS IN A INTERNATIONAL TREATY. ONE THAT HAS BEEN MODIFIED BY 196 COUNTRIES SAYS REALLY PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT. AND THEN IT'S STILL A LONG BATTLE AHEAD. BUT IT'S A BIG FIRST STEP. >> AND WAS THE UNITED STATES ONE OF THOSE COUNTRIES. SO THE THE UNITED STATES IS HAS NOT ACTUALLY RATIFIED. >> THE UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD. HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE INDIVIDUAL STATE LAWS REGARDING ANIMAL CRUELTY. AS MANY PEOPLE MAY THE ER WHERE DEXTER IS LAW WAS RECENTLY PASSED. AND AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THAT, THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE RECENTLY UNANIMOUSLY. PAST HB 559. THAT PARTICULAR BELVER WAITING ON THE GOVERNOR TO SIGN IT. AND THAT PARTICULAR BILL. SAYS THAT IF A PERSON, IF ADULT COMMITS ANIMAL CRUELTY IN FRONT OF THE CHILD, THAT IS AN AUTOMATIC FELONY. IF THEY AND THAT THE CHILD CAN COME IN AND THE CRUELTY THAT IS ALSO A FELONY. AND THIS SHOWS YOU THAT WE ARE NOW TAKING ANIMAL CRUELTY MORE SERIOUSLY. HISTORICALLY, THE ANIMAL CRUELTY LINK HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONNECTED TO SERIAL MURDERS. RIGHT? PEOPLE WHO ARE SERIAL KILLERS, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A CULT AS A CHILD. BUT IT'S A BIG, BIG, COMPLEX PROCESS, RIGHT? THERE'S NO ONE SINGLE CAUSE OF CRIME. SO THIS LEADS US TO DO THIS TYPE OF RESEARCH WHERE WE CAN UNDERSTAND HIM. WHAT KIDS ARE GREATER AT THE GREATEST RISK RIGHT? WHAT TYPES OF PREVENTION MECHANISMS CAN WE COME IN TO TO HELP THE KIDS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN EXPOSED, ESPECIALLY IN THE HOME THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE, AS IS THE CASE. AND SOME OF MY CLINICAL WORK THAT I'VE SEEN. >> FOR THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING, WHO MAY BE TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT THEIR OWN. WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS THAT A CHILD MAY HAVE WITNESSED SOMETHING LIKE THIS? >> SO ONE OF THE OVERT SIGNS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ACT. >> HAS ACTUALLY TRAUMATIZED CHILD. >> IS THEY WILL GO IN. THEY WILL COMMIT ANIMAL CRUELTY. >> AND AND YOU WILL SEE IT. YOU WILL SEE IT A LOT OF TIMES. IT WILL BE WHAT WE CALL PROACTIVE AGGRESSION. SO PROACTIVE AGGRESSION IS BASICALLY WHERE THERE IS AN INTENT TO HARM. IT'S NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE A CHILD LOST CONTROL, FOR EXAMPLE, A CHILD COMES HOME. THEY'VE HAD A REALLY, REALLY LONG DAY. A DOG RUNS UP TO THEM, JUMPS ON THEM AND THEY JUST HARSHLY PUSH THE DOG AWAY. A SHOT. THE DOG THAT'S REACTIVE. YOU'LL START TO SEE MORE PRO ACT OF AGGRESSION ACTING OUT FOR SOME KIDS, ESPECIALLY IN GIRLS. WE TEND TO SEE IS THERE'S MORE. I'M LIKE I SAID, INTERNALIZING SOME TAMALA G. SO THE THEY'LL BE HAVE MORE EMOTIONAL DYSREGULATION SELF-HARM BEHAVIOR AND PLEASE KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT OVER PAT PAT COLLEGE. I SING LIKE, LIKE WE'RE NOT SEEING ALL THESE KIDS ARE GOING TO HAVE A LOGICAL SYMPTOMS. BUT YOU WILL SEE SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS IF THE CRUELTY THAT EXPERIENCED A SEVERE AND THEY CAN'T THEY CAN'T COME UP WITH A. FRAMEWORK TO UNDERSTAND WHY IT HAPPENED. AND SO I WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN I TALK ABOUT THIS RESEARCH, EVERYBODY CAN GET ON BOARD BECAUSE THIS IS NOT ATTACKING, FOR EXAMPLE, HUNTERS. IT'S NOT ATTACKING PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VEGAN. IT'S IT'S DOING NOTHING OF THE SORT. WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THAT WHEN ANIMAL SUFFER, CHILDREN SUFFER AND SOCIETY SUFFERS, THERE'S A FINANCIAL TOLL IN COUNTRIES WHERE ANIMAL CRUELTY IT'S MORE COMMON IN SOCIALIZED. >> IS THERE ANY HOPE THAT AFTER SOME COUNSELING AFTER SOME THERAPY THAT THIS BEHAVIOR CAN CHANGE IN THE TRIAL? YES, THERE IS NO REHABILITATION IS A REALLY, REALLY COMPLEX PROCESS. THERE'S A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL. >> ACTORS THAT THAT INTERACT TO PREDICT WHETHER A CHILD CAN CAN BE REHABILITATED FROM THAT. SO WE DO KNOW THAT CHILDREN WHO EXPERIENCE THAT EXTERNALIZING PATHWAY WHERE THEY HAVE THOSE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, SYMPTOMS OF TRAUMA, SYMPTOMS OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS, THAT TYPE OF THERAPY CAN BE A BIT MORE EFFECTIVE. AND THAT'S ALSO BECAUSE THOSE KIDS TEND TO HAVE ON AVERAGE HIGHER LEVELS OF EMPATHY TO BEGIN WITH. FOR KIDS WHO ARE ENGAGING IN THAT PROACTIVE VIOLENCE. IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY ONE WAY OR ANOTHER IF WE CAN REALLY REHABILITATE THEM. AND WE GO IN HOPING WE CAN. AND I'VE SEEN MANY CASES WHERE THAT DOES HAPPEN, BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF INTERVENTION. A LOT OF COUNSELING, A LOT OF A COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS. PARENTS AND I SAY PARENTS AND SOMETIMES THAT CAN BE VERY, VERY HARD BECAUSE OFTEN IT'S HAPPENING IN THE HOME BY A TRUSTED ADULT. WELL, WE'LL KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANK YOU. I