Committee Chair

Hensley, Christopher

Committee Member

Garland, Tammy; McGuffey, 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

Recent research has begun to establish a relationship between childhood acts of animal cruelty and later violence against humans. However, few studies have focused on the influence of animal cruelty methods on later interpersonal violence. In a replication of a study by Hensley and Tallichet (2009) and based on a sample of 180 inmates at medium- and maximum-security prisons in a Southern state, the present study examines the relationship between several retrospectively-identified animal cruelty met hods (drowned, hit, shot, kicked, choked, burned, and had sex with) and interpersonal violence committed against humans. Four out of five inmates reported hitting animals. Over one-third of the sample chose to shoot or kick animals, while one in five had sex with them. Less than one-fifth of the sample drowned or choked animals, and less than one-sixth of the inmates burned animals. Regression analyses revealed that the age at which offenders began animal cruelty and having sex with animals were predictive of adult interpersonal violence.

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

5-2010

Subject

Violence -- Psychological aspect; Children and animals

Discipline

Criminology and Criminal Justice

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

viii, 35 leaves

Language

English

Rights

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

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

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