Committee Chair

Hensley, Christopher

Committee Member

Garland, Tammy; McGuffee, Karen

Department

Dept. of Criminal Justice and Legal Assistant Studies

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

The current study seeks to replicate Hensley, Tallichet, and Dutkiewicz’s (2012) research on childhood animal cruelty methods by surveying 257 inmates in a medium-security Southern prison. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between participants’ demographic and situational factors and their individual methods of childhood animal cruelty. The study also investigated the predictive value of childhood animal cruelty methods on adult recurrent violent crimes. Logistic regression revealed that those who were younger when they first engaged in animal cruelty were more likely to drown, kick, burn, stab, and have sex with animals. Inmates who were not upset after committing animal cruelty were more likely to choke and have sex with animals. Those who grew up in rural areas and those who did not cover up their animal cruelty acts were more likely to shoot animals. Those who committed recurrent acts of childhood animal cruelty were more likely to stab animals. Those who were mentally abused were more likely to choke and stab animals. Non-whites were more likely to have sex with and burn animals. The only method that predicted adult recurrent violent crimes was stabbing animals.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my gratitude for my chair, Dr. Hensley, and my committee members, Dr. Garland and Professor McGuffee, for their invaluable help throughout the past year. They offered various kinds of support, and they were always willing to work with me on any kind of issues I encountered.

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

5-2014

Subject

Violence in children; Animal welfare -- Psychological aspects; Children and animals; Conduct disorders in children -- Risk factors; Human-animal relationships

Keyword

Animal cruelty; Interpersonal violence; Graduation hypothesis

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

ix, 47 leaves

Language

English

Rights

https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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