The criminal and criminological aspects of animal abuse and their correlation to other criminal behaviors in chlidren and adolescents

Abstract

This thesis reviewed the current literature dealing with the occurrence of abusive behavior towards animals in children, its psychopathological background, and its potential criminological and sociological implications. Studies suggest that animals abuse in children is quite wide-spread, with males generally more likely to be involved, and the acts tending to start at a young age. Children who are abusive to animals are also more likely to exhibit more symptoms of other behavioral disorders, with animal abuse frequently presenting as one of the earliest signs. Child animal abuse can therefore serve as a useful early diagnostic tool for such disorders as CD and ODD.