Can childhood animal cruelty be learned?: examining age of onset and recurrency

Few studies have examined how animal cruelty can be a learned behavior. Using data collected from 257 male inmates at a Southern state medium-security prison, the current study seeks to replicate the Hensley, Tallichet and Dutkiewicz (2012) study. It examines the potential for the onset and recurrence of childhood animal cruelty to become a learned behavior, specifically in terms of how demographic characteristics and childhood experiences, such as witnessing animal cruelty and being mentally and/or physically abused, influence such behavior. In the current study, those who were physically abused as children reported engaging in recurrent animal cruelty. Those who reported witnessing animal cruelty at a younger age also reported engaging in animal cruelty at an earlier age. Respondents who reported witnessing a parent commit acts of animal abuse reported that they committed animal abuse themselves at an older age, while those who witnessed a brother/sister commit animal abuse reported engaging in it at an earlier age.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Author dc:creator

• Browne, John A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hensley, Christopher
• Garland, Tammy; McGuffee, Karen
• College of Arts and Sciences

• Violence in children
• Animal welfare -- Psychological aspects
• Children and animals
• Conduct disorders in children -- Risk factors
• Human-animal relationships

Licence

• https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en

Language dc:language

English, eng

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/106

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-1105