The Violence Link, An Excerpt From The Dog Whisper

HOWEDY People,

The Violence Link

Experts believe children who are unusually cruel to animals
may continue the abuse they have learned from their parents
into adulthood, creating a cycle of violence.

No breed of dog is born dangerous... but... The Alpha Pack
Leader Training Methods are very dangerous -C. W. Meisterfeld

The Violence Link, is an excerpt from the title Dog Whisper:

How children are raised shapes their values and behaviors.
They learn from adult role models and the society they live
in. A home of violence, abuse, or neglect produces children
who may pass these behaviors on to the next generation, and so
on.

Animals, especially pets, get caught up in this cycle of
family violence. In most cases, the animal is the last victim
in a chain of abuse that filters down from the strongest
family member to the weakest. In order to understand an
individual act of violence, the entire family and life history
of all participants must be considered.

Evidence is mounting that violent acts are not separate and
distinct events, but are part of a cycle. These findings
should alert parents, societal leaders, prosecutors, and
judges to the occurrence of animal cruelty as a potential
indication of disturbed family relationships and future
antisocial aggressive behavior towards humans.

Recognizing the link between animal cruelty and other violent
acts may be our first line of defense in breaking the cycle of
violence in our community.

Researchers Alan Felthouse and Stephen Kellert found that a
child who learns aggression against animals is more likely to
rape, abuse, and kill other humans as an adult. Thus, it is
reported that the nation's most violent criminals exhibited
excessive cruelty towards animals.

The New York Times, 1991: Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed 17 men
and sawed their bodies into pieces, reportedly impaled frogs
and staked cats to trees in his backyard.

The Washington Post, 1977: Mass murderer David Berkowitz, New
York City's "Son of Sam", was depicted by the press as hating
dogs and having killed a number of neighborhood animals in his
youth.

The Press Democrat, 1998: In Pearl, Mass., a neighbor of
accused killer Luke Woodham testified that he watched the
16-year old and an alleged conspirator in the killings, Grant
Boyett, 18, chase the family dog and bludgeon the animal to
death.

American Humane Association, 1998: In a study of 57 families
being treated for incidents of child abuse, 88% also abused
animals. In two-thirds of the cases, it was the abusive parent
who had killed or injured the animals to control a child. In
one-third, the children had abused the animals, using them as
scapegoats for their anger.

American Humane Association, 1998: In a study of 28
incarcerated sexual-homicide perpetrators (all men),
researchers found that 36% had abused animals in their
childhood and 46% in adolescence.

American Humane Association, 1998: In a study using a sample
of 64 men, 48% of convicted rapists and 30% of convicted child
molesters admitted to cruelty to animals during their
childhood or adolescence.