Cat thrown off balcony

[DiddyDawn]

continuation:

25. Perpetrator returned at least once to scene of the abuse, to relive the experience
As above, the continuation of the emotional arousal experienced during the perpetration of cruelty is an indicator of significant likelihood of reenactment, repetition or escalation of the violence to reach the same rewarding emotional state.

26. Perpetrator left messages or threats in association with the act of cruelty
Using violence against an animal as a form of threat or intimidation is often symptomatic of more generalized violence. The additional intimidation of written or verbal threats (e.g. notes left with an animal body or letters sent to someone who cared about the animal), are strongly indicative of potential for escalated violence.

27. Animal victim was posed or otherwise displayed
Positioning or displaying the body of a victim (e.g. on front steps, in mailbox), or wearing or displaying parts of the remains (e.g. skins, paws) can be indicative of the use of such violence to gain feelings of power, control and domination - or to alarm or intimidate others. This should be considered a serious warning sign of potential for escalated or repeated violence.

28. Animal cruelty was accompanied by ritualistic or "satanic" actions
Animal cruelty accompanied by "satanic" or other ritualistic trappings suggests an active effort to reject societal norms or attempts to seek power and control through magical? thought processes, which may escalate to fascination with the application of such ritual to human victims.

29. Act of abuse involved staging or reenactment of themes from media or fantasy sources
The reenactment of cruelty to animals in ways the perpetrator has been exposed to through media or fantasy sources (including video games) can be indicative of weak reality testing and a greater likelihood of copying other media portrayals of violent acts against human victims.

30. Perpetrator reportedly experienced altered consciousness during the violent act
Acts that are accompanied by blackouts, blanking, de-realization or depersonalization should be considered indicative of thought disorders that could contribute to acts of violence against human victims.

31. Perpetrator reportedly experienced strong positive affective changes during the violent act
Violent or destructive acts that are reportedly accompanied by strong positive affect (laughter, descriptions of a “rush”, exclamations of generalized or sexual excitement) indicate that such violence is being strongly reinforced and is likely to be repeated and/or escalate.

32. Perpetrator lacks insight into cause or motivation of the animal abuse
Repeat violent offenders often display little or no insight into the motivation of their violent acts.

33. Perpetrator sees himself as the victim in this event and/or projects blame onto others including the animal victim
Repeat offenders and those resistant to intervention are less likely to take responsibility for their actions and often offer self-serving, fanciful or bizarre justifications for their actions.



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The Fifth Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Relations with Animals and the Natural World

MEN, WOMEN & ANIMALS:
The Influence of Gender on Our Relations with Animals and the Natural World



Gender Differences in the Perpetration of Animal Cruelty
Randall Lockwood, Ph.D.
The Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
Human behavior resulting in the suffering or death of animals takes many forms. One perspective is to view such mistreatment on a continuum, ranging from the collecting or hoarding of large numbers of animals, to simple neglect, to "organized" abuse (e.g. blood sports) to intentional harm and torture.
We will review the demographics of the perpetration of various forms of animal cruelty from several sources, including a large sample of press reports, cruelty investigation records from several humane organizations and court records. Such analysis shows that males tend to be greatly over-represented in the most violent and intentional forms of animal cruelty, generally equally represented in cases of neglect and significantly under-represented in cases of animal hoarding. Comparisons and contrasts will be drawn from studies of perpetrators of child abuse and domestic violence. Additional insights will be offered from the limited studies of violent female offenders.

The indications are that intentional animal cruelty, like domestic violence, can often be viewed as a gender issue related to power and control. Efforts to prevent such violence against animals should recognize this relationship and allocate appropriate attention to those at higher risk of becoming perpetrators, i.e. pre-adolescent and adolescent males.



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ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Initiatives and Training
Randall Lockwood, Ph.D., CAAB
Randall Lockwood has degrees in psychology and biology from Wesleyan University and a doctorate in comparative and physiological psychology from Washington University. He served as vice president for research and educational outreach for the Humane Society of the United States until 2005, when he became the ASPCA’s Senior Vice President for Anti-Cruelty Initiatives and Training.

For more than 25 years, Lockwood has worked closely with humane societies, animal care and control agencies, dog trainers and law enforcement, serving as an expert on wolf and dog behavior, dog aggression, dog bite prevention, illegal dogfighting and the interactions between people and animals. He has been an advisor on animal-related public health problems to many city and state governments, law enforcement agencies, utility companies, the Centers for Disease Control and the United States Postal Service. He was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Task Force on Human/Canine Interaction, established to review the dog bite problem and appropriate community responses. He has served as an expert witness in many civil and criminal trials dealing with dangerous dogs, including the first trials to result in manslaughter and murder convictions of owners of dogs involved in fatal attacks.