221159 Research linking animal abuse and intimate partner violence

Monday, November 8, 2010 : 3:30 PM - 3:45 PM

Frank Ascione, Professor and American Humane Endowed Chair , Institute for Human-Animal Connection, University of Denver Granduate School of Social Work, Denver, CO
The incidence of animal abuse in the context of intimate partner violence, derived from two case-control studies (U.S. and Australia)and other recent research will be reported. (A more general treatment of animal abuse may be found in Ascione, 2005,2008).Collectively, the studies show that pet abuse by intimate partners is a common experience for women who are battered and who have sought safety at domestic violence shelters. If children are present, they are often exposed to pet abuse—an experience that may compromise their physical and mental health. Family pets may become pawns in a sometimes deadly form of coercion and terrorizing used by some batterers. And women's concerns about the welfare of their pets may be an obstacle to fleeing violent partners and may affect women's decision making about staying with, leaving, and/or returning to batterers. Women's welfare, children's welfare, and animal welfare are interconnected.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related education
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the incidence of animal abuse in the context of intimate partner violence. 2. Explain how pet abuse by intimate partners is a common experience for women who are battered. 3. Discuss how children exposed to pet abuse may have compromised physical and mental health. 4. Explain how women’s concerns about the welfare of their pets may be an obstacle to fleeing violent partners and may affect women’s decision making about staying with or leaving a relationsip. 5. Describe the need for Interdisciplinary response to animal abuse and understanding of the link between animal abuse and human health

Keywords: Adult and Child Mental Health, Violence Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have conducted and published research on this topic for nearly 20 years and have given presentations on this issue at local, national, and international venues.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.