[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1098-E1101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

THE LINK BETWEEN ANIMAL VIOLENCE AND VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIVIDUALS

______

HON. TOM LANTOS

of california

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, June 10, 1998

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of my
colleagues to the important connection between violence against animals
and violence against humans. Recently, we held an important
Congressional briefing to explore the link between animal abuse and
domestic violence. This briefing was jointly cosponsored by the
Congressional Friends of Animals, which our colleague, Christopher
Shays of Connecticut, and I chair; the Congressional Caucus on Women's
Issues, chaired by Congresswomen Eleanor Holmes Norton and Nancy
Johnson; and the Congressional Children's Caucus chaired by
Congresswomen Sheila Jackson-Lee and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and with the
support of Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse, Congressman Jon Fox, and
Senator Robert Torricelli.
Mr. Speaker, it is no surprise that individuals who brutalize animals
are very often guilty of committing similar crimes against people. Not
all of us are aware of the well defined link between cruelty to animals
and both domestic violence and violent crimes like murder, assault and
serial crimes.
Violence towards animals precedes and co-exists with domestic
violence including: spouse abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, as well as
murder and assault. Unfortunately, pets often serve as surrogate
targets of a troubled offender's wrath. A 1997 survey found that 85.4
percent of women in shelters talked about violence towards pets as part
of the cruelty at home. Mr. Speaker, Animal Abuse is recognized as a
symptom of mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association,
which considers animal abuse one of the diagnostic criteria of a
conduct disorder.
Animal abuse can also be an important indicator of future violent
behavior. When a child is caught hurting an animal, this problem should
be addressed immediately because this problem is not self-correcting.
Abusing animals is often a precursor to more violent offenses, and a
child that is abusing animals must be taught the value of all life. The
FBI has used this connection between animal abuse and violent behavior
for two decades in profiling serial killers and violent criminals.
Mr. Speaker, we must focus attention on this important connection. If
we can help increase reverence for the life of animals, we will foster
a greater respect for human life. Strengthening laws against animal
abuse and publicizing this issue will serve to protect humans in the
long run. Animal abuse is a warning sign, and we must learn to look for
it and recognize it.
This past week, Mr. Speaker, I introduced H. Con. Res. 286 which
expresses the view that the link between violence against animals and
violence against humans should be given greater emphasis and that it
should be used to identify and treat individuals who are guilty of
violence against animals. This resolution notes that animal abuse is a
crime in its own right in all 50 states, but such abuse should also be
identified and treated because of the link with violence against
humans. The resolution also urges research to increase understanding of
the connection between cruelty to animals and violence against humans.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to call the attention of my colleagues to
statements that were given at the recent briefing on this issue. I want
to mention the remarks of Barbara Sweeney, a social worker from
Alexandria, Virginia. She testified that individuals who batter often
abuse animals to threaten, control, and intimidate their partner. Ms.
Sweeney also discussed how the Alexandria Domestic Violence program
addresses the link of violence through such programs as counseling and
humane education for children who witness this form of abuse and are
deeply affected. The Alexandria Domestic Violence Program has taken
this link seriously and should be considered a model program.
A number of distinguished and well-informed experts provided
outstanding testimony at this important briefing. They were Kim
Roberts,

[[Page E1099]]

M.S.W., First Strike Campaign Manager for the Humane Society of the
United States; Special Agent Alan C. Brantley of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation; Julie Bank of the ASPCA (the American Society for
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and founder of the ASPCA'S Family
VISION (Violence Information Sharing, Intervention, and Observation
Network); and Suzanne Barnard, M.S., Assistant Director of the
Children's Division of the American Humane Association.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that their statements be placed in the Record, and
I ask that my colleagues give careful and thoughtful attention to their
remarks.

Congressional Informational Briefing--Animal Abuse and Domestic
Violence

(By Kim Roberts)

The HSUS' campaign about the connection between animal
cruelty and human violence is called ``First Strike'' because
the first strike is often against the family pet. The family
pet may be the most vulnerable victim in a violent household.
Violence against a family pet is often used to control,
manipulate or terrorize family members. Animal abuse can also
be a warning sign that the violence is escalating. Taking
animal cruelty seriously offers an opportunity to intervene
in violent households and with violent individuals, and
strong anti-cruelty laws can provide the means. Through
enforcement of laws and intervention with perpetrators we may
prevent future violence against animals and people. In a
violent household, all family members are victims.
Enforcement of strong anti-cruelty laws can also provide an
opportunity to provide assistance to other victims in the
family.
Strong state anti-cruelty laws are a major focus of The
HSUS. Some of the key components of a strong anti-cruelty law
include a wide range of options such as felony provisions,
psychological evaluation and counseling, a wide range of
available fines and prison sentences, restitution,
reimbursement of costs, seizure of animals and community
service. Cross-reporting and cross-training of humane
investigators and those charged with investigating child
abuse and domestic violence are also valuable tools in the
identification of current and possible future victims of
violence, both human and animal.
In addition to supporting strong anti-cruelty laws elected
officials and other leaders can also help address this issue
by encouraging data collection and research at the local,
state and federal level; support emergency housing programs
for pets of individuals seeking to leave a violent situation
and the development of community coalitions; stronger
penalties for perpetrators who abuse animals in front of a
child; and mandatory reporting of animal cruelty.
The next steps to prevent violence include formal
recognition by the federal government of the connection
between animal cruelty and various forms of human violence;
assistance in making others aware of the connection through
inclusion of this connection in discussions of violence-
related issues; cooperation between various government
agencies and organizations interested in anti-violence
efforts; inclusion of animal cruelty in state and federal
level crime data collection; and the incorporation of animal
abuse into the Justice Department's comprehensive plans for
research and program development in violence-related areas
such as domestic violence, child abuse, youth violence, etc.
The main message I would like to leave you with is that
strong anti-cruelty laws don't just protect animals, they
protect people too.

____
Congressional Briefing

(Remarks of Alan C. Brantley)

I come to you today from your National Center for the
Analysis of Violent Crime, which is part of the FBI's
Critical Incident Response Group located at Quantico,
Virginia. The National Center for the Analysis of Violent
Crime or NCAVC, was formed in the mid-1980's as the direct
result of the then burgeoning phenomena of stranger-to-
stranger homicides or so called murders with no apparent
motive. At that time, we in the NCAVC were tasked with the
identification and tracking of serial killers and other
violent offenders who committed unusual or particularly
vicious offenses.
It is our belief that since all crimes are committed by
human beings then at some stage along the crime commission
continuum there will be the display of behavior that lends
itself to analysis and interpretation. From this
interpretation, information of lead value can be gleaned from
the results and provided to investigators, prosecutors,
judges, and juries who may not encounter these types of
behaviors in their professional or personal life experiences.
Since the mid-1980's to the present, the NCAVC has expanded
its examination of criminals and offenses to include not just
the serial offenders but all types of violent crime. One of
the services provided by the NCAVC is in the area of threat
analysis and the assessment of dangerousness. To aid in the
prediction of dangerousness in law enforcement settings, we
have developed a checklist or guide which enumerates sixteen
categories. These categories and the elements within each,
serve as risk indicators or warning signs that when
critically reviewed and recognized can assist during
assessments of subjects suspected or known to be dangerous.
Provided to you today is a copy of the checklist which is
entitled the ``Traits and Characteristics of Violent
Offenders.'' You will note categories number twelve and
sixteen which are two of the most important warning signs.
Both of these categories concern an individuals history of
actual violence to include violence against people and
animals. It has long been accepted among professionals who
must assess dangerous populations that the best predictor of
future behavior is past behavior and a past history of
violence is the single most important predictor of future
violence.
Some in our society make too much out of qualitatively
distinguishing between violence against humans and violence
against animals. Ladies and gentlemen, violence against
animals is violence and when it is present, it is considered
by the people I work with to be synonymous with a history of
violence. In many cases reviewed at the NCAVC we have seen
examples whereby violence against animals is a prelude to
violence against humans. We in the NCAVC find ourselves in
the unenviable position of literally seeing the absolute
worst that human beings can do to other human beings and
animals. Some offenders kill animals as a rehearsal for
targeting human victims and may kill or torture animals
because to them, the animals symbolically represent people.
In many cases, depending on the context and quality of the
behavior, animal violence does not occur in a vacuum and co-
exists with other major adjustment problems. It is not only
highly predictive in identifying children at risk for
committing future acts of violence but also in identifying
children being abused and cases of spousal abuse. The most
profound predictor of future violence against humans, in my
opinion, is when the animal abuser kills the animal in a very
public way and flaunts the act in order to seek attention and
gain a perverted sense of status. They begin to identify with
the role of becoming a violent criminal and in many cases
achieve their goal.
To close I will leave you with some insight into how
convoluted the thinking of such individuals can become. For
them what is good is bad, what is bad is good, and what is
cruel, violent and inhumane is even better.

____
Traits and Characteristics of Violent Offenders

The prediction of dangerousness in law enforcement settings
has long been a topic of interest, especially for those who
must make arrests, conduct threat assessments, are hostage
negotiators, and who preside over parole decisions. A number
of factors have been identified by researchers as risk
indicators for future violence to include past violence,
substance abuse, mental disorders, brain damage, and a
history of witnessing violence in the home. While the above
risk indicators are well known to many, there has been no
systematic method of combining all that is known about risk
indicators into an off-the-shelf, user friendly model that
can be applied to individual cases.
The following checklist was developed by Supervisory
Special Agent (SSA) Alan C. Brantley of the Critical Incident
Response Group's National Center for the Analysis of Violent
Crime. It is intended to serve as a guide when conducting
assessments of subjects suspected or known to be dangerous.
The items included on the checklist were selected primarily
on the basis of both law enforcement and mental health
experience with violent offenders. Questions about this
checklist may be directed to SSA Brantley at (540) 720-4902.
1. ANGER/LOW FRUSTRATION TOLERANCE--Reacts to stress in
self-defeating ways, unable to effectively cope with anxiety,
acts out when frustrated. Frustration leads to aggression.
2. IMPULSIVE--Is quick to act, wants immediate
gratification, has little or no consideration for the
consequences, lacks insight, has poor judgment, has limited
or impaired cognitive filtering (A-C vs. A-B-C).
3. EMOTIONAL LABILITY/DEPRESSION--Quick-tempered, short-
fused, hot-headed, ``flick,'' rapid mood swings, moody,
sullen, irritable, humorless.
4. CHILDHOOD ABUSE--Sexual and physical abuse, maternal or
paternal deprivation, rejection, abandonment, exposure to
violent role models in the home.
5. LONER--Is isolated and withdrawn, has poor interpersonal
relations, has no empathy for others, lacks feelings of guilt
and remorse.
6. OVERLY SENSITIVE--Hypersensitive to criticism and real
or perceived slights, suspicious, fearful, distrustful,
paranoid.
7. ALTERED CONSCIOUSNESS--Sees red, ``blanking,''
``blackouts, derealization/depersonalization (``it's like I
wasn't there; it was me but not me''), impaired reality
testing, hallucinations.
8. THREATS OF VIOLENCE--Towards self and/or others, direct,
veiled, implied, conditional.
9. BLAMES OTHERS--Projects blame onto others, fatalistic,
external locus of control, avoids personal responsibility for
behavior, views self as ``victim'' vs. ``victimizer,'' self-
centered, sense of entitlement.
10. CHEMICAL ABUSE--Especially alcohol, opiates,
amphetamines, crack, and hallucinogenics (PCP, LSD), an angry
drunk, dramatic personality/mood changes when under the
influence.
11. MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS REQUIRING IN-PATIENT
HOSPITALIZATION--Especially with arrest history for any
offenses prior to hospitalization.

[[Page E1100]]

12. **HISTORY OF VIOLENCE**--Towards self and others,
actual physical force used to injure, harm, or damage. **This
category is the most significant in assessing individuals for
future dangerousness.**
13. ODD/BIZARRE BELIEFS--Superstitious, magical thinking,
religiosity, sexuality, violent fantasies (especially when
violence is eroticized), political, social, delusions.
14. PHYSICAL PROBLEMS--Congenital defects, severe acne,
scars, stuttering, any of which may contribute to poor self-
image, lack of self-esteem, and isolation. History of head
trauma, brain damage/neurological problems.
15. PREOCCUPATION WITH VIOLENT THEMES--Movies, books, TV,
newspaper articles, magazines (detective), music, weapons
collections, guns, knives, implements of torture, S&M, Nazi
paraphernalia.
16. PATHOLOGICAL TRIAD/SCHOOL PROBLEMS--Firesetting,
enuresis, cruelty to animals, fighting, truancy, temper
tantrums, inability to get along with others, rejection of
authority.

____
Cruelty to Animals Through My Eyes

(By Julie Bank)

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. I'm
honored to be here but I'm saddened by the need to describe
the world of animal cruelty to you. You see, I have been
crusading against cruelty for over a decade and although I
have seen positive results of mine and other advocates'
efforts, there still seems to be much to do. Working at the
ASPCA has given me a first hand look into the eyes of the
victims of abuse and not only the four legged victims. I
remember working as an adoption counselor, eager and
energetic to find animals a home. One afternoon, a man walked
in, he was a tall man, he was dragging a dog that was so thin
I could almost count his ribs. The dog had almost no hair and
was bleeding from the ears. It had looked like the ears had
been chopped off with scissors. You could see the terror and
the panic in the dog's eyes as he tried to pull away from the
man. Trailing behind the man was a young boy, about eight,
carrying a box. The box was filled with puppies. Two of them
were already dead. I could swear the boy had the same look in
his eyes as the dog. He too was thin, pale, and dirty. The
man dumped the dog on the counter, turned to the boy and
said, ``I am going to teach that bitch a lesson once and for
all.'' When the boy bent down to say goodbye to his once
beloved friend, the father smacked the boy in the face,
grabbed him by the arm and said, ``Just you wait till we get
home.'' The man and the boy left and the dog was humanely
euthanized by ASPCA technicians. One of the puppies survived,
and is now living in a happy home.
I think it was that day that I began to recognize the cycle
of violence. I couldn't help but wonder what other abuse was
occurring in this home since the man was willing to show us a
brutal display in the shelter. Was there anything I could do
as an individual or as an animal worker to stop the abuse
from happening again?
Eight years later, and a lot of hard work, we have begun to
make headway. I am proud to say that the ASPCA is part of a
network in NYC which is recognizing that animal abuse is an
important piece of the abuse puzzle. The network consists of
a whole range of city social service and protection agencies
including:
The NYPD, Administration for Childrens Services, Department
of the Aging, Human Resource Agency, Mental health,
education, animal welfare, and other public and private
agencies.
NYC Family VISION, as it's called looks at violence as a
societal issue and is working on programs to address it. All
members of Family VISION bring to the table different
perspectives and experiences. Many of us define abuse
differently but, no matter what our background is or who the
population is we are serving, whether adult, child, or
animal, abuse is abuse and must be stopped.
NYC Family VISION has five goals: Cross training animal,
law enforcement, and social service workers to recognize
animal and human abuse. For example, In January of this year,
ASPCA staff trained 800 Domestic Violence police officers on
animal abuse.
Cross reporting so that we can gather statistics and make
sure that the proper agency is informed when an abuse case
occurs. Recently, ASPCA humane law enforcement officers went
into a home to investigate an animal abuse complaint and
found three children under five home alone. They immediately
called the Family VISION NYPD and ACS representative and the
mother who was found in the local bar was brought up on child
abuse charges.
Intervention which is a new program where adjudicated
offenders of animal abuse are sent to the ASPCA by the courts
for a twelve-week psycoeducational program.
Education. As an educator, I recognize the importance of
establishing school and family programs that will continue to
foster the human animal bond that exists in millions of
households. NYC Family VISION is helping educators support
their students, and to continue to promote programs that
stimulate responsible, empathetic behaviors toward all life.
Foster care. Helping victims of domestic violence by
temporarily placing their animal so they can leave an abusive
situation quickly.
Programs like Family VISION are not limited to NYC. Humane
Organizations around the country already understand the
impact violence has on humans and animals.
In Colorado Springs, the DIVERT program receives federal
funding to collaboratively review Domestic Violence cases.
The Toledo Humane Society has developed a comprehensive
training program for law enforcement personnel to recognize
all forms of abuse.
At Purdue University, an animal foster care program was
developed to address the needs of human victims of domestic
violence.
The Quad Alliance Against Abuse in Alabama run by the
Civitan Club, has a logo that reads, ``There's No Excuse for
Abuse, Child, Elderly, Spousal, and Animal.''
And, in Oregon, the Domestic Violence Assistance program's
motto reads, ``Protecting Women Children and their Pets.''
The emergence of programs like the ones mentioned above
show a clear recognition by all individuals working on
preventing abuse, that abuse does not stand in isolation.
Working together to understand family dynamics, the role of
each individual (and animal) in the household, and to develop
programs to address the needs of the family, can only help to
put an end to the awful violence that exists today. As part
of the legislative process you have the opportunity to
support programs like NYC Family VISION in your community.
In the past, child abuse used to be considered a family
affair where people shouldn't meddle. Today we are all
concerned with child abuse. We are becoming more
sophisticated to seeing the connection among all abuses.
It is no longer acceptable to look the other way when
someone is hitting an animal on the street.
It is no longer acceptable to say ``Boys will be boys''
when there is a news report about a peer group setting fire
to a cat singeing its whiskers off.
It's no longer acceptable for the court to let someone off
with a slap on the wrist for tying up an animal to a car and
dragging it throughout the streets for the whole neighborhood
to see.
Its time that we take animal abuse seriously, look at it
for inherent wrongs, and look at it as an indicator of other
problems in society. As leaders, you have a responsibility to
stand up for all your constituents and their families. If any
of you currently have or had a pet in the past, you can
remember how important an animal is in the entire picture of
a family. I applaud your efforts in the past on behalf of
animals, and plead with you to continue to support stronger
laws, and programs that can help to solve Americas abuse
problem.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you today.

____
American Humane Association

(Presented By Suzanne Barnard)

As the jury deliberated the death penalty for convicted
pedophile and child murderer Jesse K. Timmendequas, whose
crimes were the incentive for Megan's Law, lawyers argued
that Timmendequas allegedly endured years of childhood
physical and sexual abuse during which family pets were
tortured in front of him to ensure his silence. In
Janesville, Wisconsin, police arrested a man after finding
numerous cats and dogs, in his home, that had been beaten to
death. In his statements to police, the man indicated that he
had been beaten as a child and killing the animals helped to
release his anger. And finally, a teenager accused of
murdering his mother and two classmates in Pearl, Mississippi
wrote of his torturing and killing of the family pet. He
described how he and an accomplice beat his dog, then set it
on fire and threw it in a pond . . . ``it was true beauty'',
he wrote.
Good morning, my name is Suzanne Barnard and I am with the
Children's Division of the American Humane Association. I am
a social worker with over 20 years of experience in the field
of child protection.
My organization has a long history of concern for and
involvement in the protection of both children and animals.
In 1877 The American Humane Association was founded by those
concerned with both animal and child abuse. Using rudimentary
animal protection laws to remove an abused child from
horrifying conditions, a church worker and an attorney made
history with one of the first recorded cases of legal child
protection in this country. Today, the fate of children and
animals is more linked than ever, and both child welfare
organizations and animal protection groups are beginning to
refocus their attention on recognizing and responding jointly
to abuse, neglect, and cruelty toward both children and
animals.
This refocused attention brings forward several issues for
consideration, First, and at the heart of any discussion
concerning the links between human and animal abuse must be
the understanding that we are not talking about child welfare
vs. animal welfare, but rather about creating a more
comprehensive response to both children and animals. Second,
we must focus attention on teaching children compassion
toward animals as a regular part of any school curriculum.
Although the issue of the relationship between childhood
cruelty to animals and later violence to adults is far from
settled, enough information currently exists that illustrates
the association between repetitive acts of severe cruelty in
childhood and severe antisocial behavior in adulthood.
Groundbreaking studies by Alan Felthous,

[[Page E1101]]

Stephen R. Kellert, Fernando Tapia, Frank Ascoine and others
indicate that those who have been cruel toward people share a
common dual history of cruelty to animals. There is also a
need to research and develop treatment techniques for those
children who do show early antisocial behavior toward
animals. Third, we must ensure that training for different
professions such as social work, psychology, law, law
enforcement, veterinary medicine, medicine, animal control
and others includes information about the research linking
different forms of violence and abuse including child abuse,
animal abuse, and domestic violence. Lastly, the significance
of these links must be fully explained and understood across
professions and specific programmatic linkages and treatment
protocols must be created that in practice produce a linked
response.
Those of us who work in child protection know that animal
abuse, by a parent or a child is one indicator that abuse may
be occurring in the family. Animals, especially pets, get
caught in the family ``cycle of violence.'' The sexual abuse
of children has also been associated with cruelty to animals.
Sometimes, adult perpetrators of abuse will threaten to harm
or destroy the family pet if the child victim tells of the
abuse.
Other times, animal abuse may indicate that a child is
deeply disturbed as is indicated in the fourth edition of the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders which
includes cruelty to animals as a behavioral characteristic of
the diagnosis of conduct disorder.
My colleague, Dr. Frank Ascione, a Developmental
Psychologist at Utah State University, indicated in a chapter
we co-wrote that in some cases animal maltreatment may come
from the natural curiosity and exploration common in very
young children. In those cases, parents or guardians may use
existing education programs to help instill values concerning
the humane treatment of animals in the children. Peer
pressure in the form of group initiation or proof of loyalty
or to shock adults may also account for some cases of cruelty
to animals where the child, if alone would not have harmed an
animal. Children may also mistreat animals if that is what
they have learned as a model for animal treatment within the
family. If the family practice is the beat or torture animals
to discipline them, the child may assume that this is part of
regular animal care.
AHA's campaign against violence toward children and animals
has taken us to many states where we have organized
collaborative programs in communities, at the grass roots
level, and trained both animal control officers and social
workers about how to recognize and report abuse. We have also
designed a curriculum on recognizing and reporting child
abuse and neglect for animal control officers nationally and
for third year veterinary medical students in Colorado, where
veterinarians are now mandated to report suspected child
abuse. We provided support for the passage of legislation, in
San Diego, California, that modified an existing municipal
code which required animal control officers to report
suspected child abuse to additionally require child
protection social workers to report abuse of animals.
On June 4, 1997 Colorado Governor Roy Romer signed HB 1181
into law. This historic piece of legislation has both severe
financial penalties for animal cruelty and a mandatory
requirement for mental health treatment/anger management as
part of the penalty phase for convicted adult and juvenile
perpetrators of animal cruelty.
AHA is also working jointly with Dr. Ascione to develop a
book titled Children and Animals, Kindness and Cruelty which
would be directed at a lay audience, especially parents,
counselors, teachers, clergy, children care and other child
serving professionals and which will explore the relational
issues between cruelty to animals and child development--
particularly as they pertain to the development of childhood
interpersonal skills such as compassion, empathy, and
nonviolent problem solving. This is a topic on which very
little has been researched or written.
We urge you to join in our efforts to awaken and inform the
public about the need to take both animal abuse and child
abuse seriously. By keeping issues like animal cruelty and
human violence separate in nature, in implication, and in
remedy, we risk taking a dramatic step backward in our
efforts to protect both children and animals.
Some excerpts taken from Protecting Children, a publication
of the American Humane Association.

____________________