Children's Experiences Of Domestic Violence In Addition To Fauna Abuse

24% of children whose mothers experience domestic violence also come across threats to or abuse of companion animals, query shows.

Photo: m.sava8/Shutterstock

By Zazie Todd, PhD

Every twelvemonth inward the US, 1 inward xv children is exposed to intimate partner violence, according to a national survey. Research past times Shelby McDonald (Virginia Commonwealth University) et al finds many also witness abuse of pets inward the home, potentially adding to the impacts on their deportment too mental health.

The researchers interviewed children historic stream vii – 12 whose mothers had used domestic violence services inward the past times year. Of 242 children, a quarter had seen someone threaten to or genuinely injure/kill a pet. They analyzed the information from this grouping to discovery out to a greater extent than close the beast abuse these children saw. 

The results demo the patterns of beast abuse that children line every bit happening inward the home, the dissimilar line solid unit of measurement members involved, too the reasons children plow over every bit to why it occurs. For children who witness this, it may move peculiarly traumatic, since pets tin post away move a cast of social back upward during hard times.

Dr. Shelby McDonald told me, “Children experience unopen bonds alongside companion animals too rely on pets every bit a agency of managing stress. In the context of high stress, unpredictable environments such every bit a households experiencing line solid unit of measurement violence, pets may serve every bit security-providing attachment figures, offering comfort, consistency, too back upward to children who are coping alongside adverse environments. 

“In addition, positive interactions alongside pets too caring for pets inward the dwelling line solid may render of import opportunities for children to cook self-esteem, develop empathy, too growth social interactions alongside peers too members of their community. 

“Thus, the presence of a pet inward the dwelling line solid may part every bit a protective element that helps buffer the impact of IPV [intimate partner violence] on the child.  Certainly, the protective impact of having a dear pet inward the dwelling line solid would probable move compromised if the pet were beingness abused inward the context of multidirectional line solid unit of measurement violence.”

The researchers constitute 3 contexts inward which beast abuse occurred. Most commonly, the mother’s partner threatened or wound the pet every bit a agency to frighten too command the mother. For example, ane man child said, “When my mom too I produce non cook clean good or larn upward early, he [dad] gets angry too starts kicking the domestic dog alongside his boot too starts throwing him against the wall fourth dimension too fourth dimension again.” 

Children seemed to recognize this form of deportment was aimed at upsetting their mother, too sometimes themselves too, every bit inward the instance inward a higher identify (‘my mom too I’). For women inward these situations, seeing their kid upset at abuse of the line solid unit of measurement pet may add together to negative feelings too self-blame. 

At other times, violence was used past times the mother, their partner or siblings every bit a agency of punishing the pet for misbehaviour. For example, ane daughter said, “My dad kicked the domestic dog when it tried to seize alongside teeth visitors to my house.” There was a broad range, from pulling the leash also hard to inflicting serious damage. The authors state that since physical penalty is mutual for children inward households alongside domestic violence, it is no surprise to come across it applied to pets. Also, physically punished pets may snuff it aggressive, potentially leading to to a greater extent than harsh treatment. 

This shows children drawing a distinction betwixt perceived penalty (that they powerfulness consider justified) too abuse (that wasn’t justified). This is interesting because at this historic stream children are developing ideas close fairness, too it is believed children’s agreement of interpersonal violence is of import for long-term outcomes.

The 3rd context was siblings abusing the animal, for example, “my picayune blood brother simply got mad too threw the truthful cat downwards the stairs.” Some children said they had sometimes wound their pet too.

78% said they had protected or tried to aid a pet. Sometimes they took preventive activity to snuff it on animals away from their mother’s partner, such every bit putting the pet inward their room. Some children said they direct intervened, e.g. ane man child said, “When my dad was trying to wound my dog, I grabbed my domestic dog too said ‘No, Dad, no.’”

Children’s interventions demo pets are of import to them, but many domestic violence shelters produce non permit pets. The researchers state children may remove aid inward coming to damage alongside non having been able to aid or salvage their pet, too that humane pedagogy programs to learn them how to properly interact alongside animals may also move beneficial.

This of import report shows to a greater extent than query is needed on the effects these experiences accept on children. Further query past times the same squad investigates the risk factors that conduct on how good children grapple alongside witnessing beast abuse.

The sum newspaper is available via the link below or on researchgate.

Zazie Todd, PhD, is the writer of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. She is the founder of the pop weblog , where she writes close everything from preparation methods to the human-canine relationship. She also writes a column for Psychology Today too has received the prestigious Captain Haggerty Award for Best Training Article inward 2017. Todd lives inward Maple Ridge, BC, alongside her husband, ane dog, too 2 cats.

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Reference

McDonald SE, Collins EA, Nicotera N, Hageman TO, Ascione FR, Williams JH, & Graham-Bermann SA (2015). Children's experiences of companion beast maltreatment inward households characterized past times intimate partner violence. Child abuse & neglect, 50, 116-27 PMID: 26520828

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