Battered Women, Their Animal Companions,
Jan. 28th, 2005 10:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
evilefrom:
Battered Women, Their Animal Companions, and Their Beliefs about
the Control They Have Over Protecting Them
http://home.earthlink.net/~dogandponyshow/wpaper4.html
========
There is a growing awareness among researchers and service providers in the area of domestic violence of the link between violence towards humans and abuse of the family pet. Additionally, a growing body of research has indicated a link between victims' concern for the safety of their companion animals and their subsequent decision to delay leaving the abusive environment rather than escaping and risk leaving their pets behind with the abuser.
The majority of people who live with companion animals report that their pets are members of the family (DeGroot, 1984; Friedmann, Katcher, Eaton, & Berger, 1984; Hirschman, 1994; Ory & Goldberg, 1984). In many cases this may result in healthy and positive experiences for everyone involved. But what if the pet is a member of a family plagued by violence and abuse? Unfortunately, oftentimes the animal companion of victims of domestic violence are also at risk of being abused and even killed (Ascione, 1997, 1998; Brown, 1987; Flynn, 2000).
It should not be surprising then, that many battered women delay seeking help and escaping the abusive environment out of concern for their companion animals (Ascione, 1998; Dutton, 1992; Flynn, 2000).
More specifically, the present study tested the hypothesis that battered women would postpone seeking help and escaping the deleterious home environment due in part, to low perceived control over their ability to protect their companion animals from abuse and harm once they did leave. In summary, the present study examined the personal control beliefs of battered women against the following hypotheses: (1) battered women tend to have internal beliefs about their ability to control the level of violence directed towards themselves and their companion animals while residing in the violent home environment, and (2) battered women tend to have external beliefs (or low levels) of personal control with regard to their ability to successfully leave the batterer and to prevent their companion animals from being harmed once they have escaped.
One of the first comprehensive studies examining the link between family violence and pet abuse surveyed victims residing in a Utah shelter for battered women (Ascione, 1998). In this study more than 70% of the victims with companion animals reported that their pets had been threatened, abused or killed by a male partner. An equally distressing finding was that 20% of these women stated they had delayed seeking help and leaving the batterer due to concerns for the safety of their companion animals.
It is possible that female victims of domestic abuse have experienced significant reinforcement in their efforts to run interference and protect their companion animals from abuse. Over time these women may come to believe that it is they themselves who are in control of assuring their pets' safety.
Despite these methodological limitations, there are several implications derived from the results of this study. To begin with, the animals in violent homes appear to be at risk in the same way their fellow human family members are. This link between human and non-human violence raises two important issues: (1) law enforcement and service providers who have been alerted to abuse of animals in the home would do well to investigate the possibility of violence directed towards humans within those households, and vice-versa, and (2) given the on-going threat for abuse and/or death to family pets in violent families, what is in the best interest of these animals? While the animal companions may be an important source of emotional support for fellow human victims in the household, it brings into question the rationale of allowing family pets to be at risk for violence and abuse in order to provide emotional support for the other family members also enduring the abuse. As the family pet has no choice or option to escape the violence, it calls into question the culpability of "outsiders" aware of the abusive environment who do have a choice about ensuring that the pets do not have to endure the trauma and abuse in such scenarios.
And finally, an important aspect of the present study is that it contributes to a growing awareness of the role companion animals may play in victims' decision to remain in the pernicious conditions of on-going violence. Only by coming to understand the perceptions, attitudes and beliefs of the victims can we begin to effectively address the problems of violence directed towards both battered women and their companion animals.
Battered Women, Their Animal Companions, and Their Beliefs about
the Control They Have Over Protecting Them
http://home.earthlink.net/~dogandponyshow/wpaper4.html
========
There is a growing awareness among researchers and service providers in the area of domestic violence of the link between violence towards humans and abuse of the family pet. Additionally, a growing body of research has indicated a link between victims' concern for the safety of their companion animals and their subsequent decision to delay leaving the abusive environment rather than escaping and risk leaving their pets behind with the abuser.
The majority of people who live with companion animals report that their pets are members of the family (DeGroot, 1984; Friedmann, Katcher, Eaton, & Berger, 1984; Hirschman, 1994; Ory & Goldberg, 1984). In many cases this may result in healthy and positive experiences for everyone involved. But what if the pet is a member of a family plagued by violence and abuse? Unfortunately, oftentimes the animal companion of victims of domestic violence are also at risk of being abused and even killed (Ascione, 1997, 1998; Brown, 1987; Flynn, 2000).
It should not be surprising then, that many battered women delay seeking help and escaping the abusive environment out of concern for their companion animals (Ascione, 1998; Dutton, 1992; Flynn, 2000).
More specifically, the present study tested the hypothesis that battered women would postpone seeking help and escaping the deleterious home environment due in part, to low perceived control over their ability to protect their companion animals from abuse and harm once they did leave. In summary, the present study examined the personal control beliefs of battered women against the following hypotheses: (1) battered women tend to have internal beliefs about their ability to control the level of violence directed towards themselves and their companion animals while residing in the violent home environment, and (2) battered women tend to have external beliefs (or low levels) of personal control with regard to their ability to successfully leave the batterer and to prevent their companion animals from being harmed once they have escaped.
One of the first comprehensive studies examining the link between family violence and pet abuse surveyed victims residing in a Utah shelter for battered women (Ascione, 1998). In this study more than 70% of the victims with companion animals reported that their pets had been threatened, abused or killed by a male partner. An equally distressing finding was that 20% of these women stated they had delayed seeking help and leaving the batterer due to concerns for the safety of their companion animals.
It is possible that female victims of domestic abuse have experienced significant reinforcement in their efforts to run interference and protect their companion animals from abuse. Over time these women may come to believe that it is they themselves who are in control of assuring their pets' safety.
Despite these methodological limitations, there are several implications derived from the results of this study. To begin with, the animals in violent homes appear to be at risk in the same way their fellow human family members are. This link between human and non-human violence raises two important issues: (1) law enforcement and service providers who have been alerted to abuse of animals in the home would do well to investigate the possibility of violence directed towards humans within those households, and vice-versa, and (2) given the on-going threat for abuse and/or death to family pets in violent families, what is in the best interest of these animals? While the animal companions may be an important source of emotional support for fellow human victims in the household, it brings into question the rationale of allowing family pets to be at risk for violence and abuse in order to provide emotional support for the other family members also enduring the abuse. As the family pet has no choice or option to escape the violence, it calls into question the culpability of "outsiders" aware of the abusive environment who do have a choice about ensuring that the pets do not have to endure the trauma and abuse in such scenarios.
And finally, an important aspect of the present study is that it contributes to a growing awareness of the role companion animals may play in victims' decision to remain in the pernicious conditions of on-going violence. Only by coming to understand the perceptions, attitudes and beliefs of the victims can we begin to effectively address the problems of violence directed towards both battered women and their companion animals.
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Date: 2008-08-15 09:21 pm (UTC)Animals Suffer from Domestic Abuse, Too
By Mary Kirkland, published May 06, 2007
To most of us with pets, they're part of the family and we treat them as such. But in homes where there is violence, the family pet may become just another object to threaten or harm in order to keep the family members who are being abused from leaving.
Most shelters will not allow you to bring your pets with you when you leave an abusive partner, that is until now.
Opening soon in Las Vegas, Nevada is a place called Noah's Animal House. A place where people who need to go to domestic violence shelters can also bring the family pet if they feel the pet will come to harm if they leave. The Shade Tree Shelter is adding a place where resident's who stay at the shelter can temporarily house their family pets as well.
There will be veterinary services available and foster parents willing to take special pets such as farm animals that need more space.
The effects of pet abuse on children
Children who live in abusive families and also see pet abuse suffer even more trauma as a result of seeing their pets injured, or threatened with the possibility of injury.
Many times the abuser will threaten, harm or even kill a family pet in order to punish or control a child. A child of abuse is twice as likely to grow up to become an abuser him or herself.
The effects on pets
Many pets who are abused will be very timid when the abuser gets near them, sometimes urinating on themselves out of fear, which will make the abuser angry and start the pattern of abuse all over again. Some animals will get aggressive after being abused.
From the HSUS - Family Violence and Animal Cruelty:
"My first client came in very apologetic and said, 'I have to go back home.' I tried to tell her
she didn't,... she said, 'no, you don't understand.' She pulled out a picture that her mother
forwarded her that her husband had sent...They were pictures of him chopping off the ears of
her dog with gardening shears.
'I have to go home...If I want to save my dog's life and the lives of the other animals...I have to go
home...' We never heard from her again."
-Wisconsin Domestic Violence Center Safe Haven For Pets - HSUS