2 Sample letters Requesting the Need for Humane Education in schools - Australia
of 57 families treated by New Jersey's Division of Youth and Family Services for incidents of child abuse, pets had been abused in 88% of cases, usually by the parent; a behavioural triad of cruelty to animals, bed wetting and fire setting in childhood is strongly indicative of likely violent behaviour in adulthood; and
there is a significantly higher incidence of behaviour involving cruelty to animals, usually prior to age 25, in people who go on to commit mass or serial murders.
Sample Letter No 2.
Dear [Name]
There has always been anecdotal evidence
supporting the connection between
animal cruelty and violent behaviour
against people. The 'Son of Sam'
murderer in New York City, for
example, reportedly (Washington Star, 1977)
hated dogs and killed a
number of neighbourhood animals. Another newspaper
article (Washington
Post, 1979) reported a mass killer as having immersed
cats in
containers of battery acid as a child. Albert De Salvo, the
notorious
Boston Strangler, trapped dogs and cats, placed them in orange
crates,
and shot arrows through the boxes (Fucini, 1978).
In addition to
this anecdotal evidence, there have now been a number of
psychological
studies carried out which show links between childhood
cruelty to
animals and later criminality. In some cases, such acts were a
precursor to child abuse. Some of these reports were commissioned by
humane societies in an attempt to persuade Government authorities of
the
seriousness of animal cruelty cases, including the
Kellert/Felthouse
study.
The Kellert/Felthouse study,
confirmed a strong correlation between
childhood cruelty to animals
and future antisocial and aggressive
behaviour. It stressed the need
for researchers, clinicians and societal
leaders to be alert to the
importance of childhood animal cruelty, and
suggested that the
evolution of a more gentle and benign relationship in
human society
might be enhanced by our promotion of a more positive and
nurturing
ethic between children and animals.
Such path-finding studies are
of key importance for society and educators
alike. Amongst their
findings are:
in one community in England, 83% of families with a
history of animal
abuse had been identified as having children at risk
from abuse or
neglect; of 57 families treated by New Jersey's
Division of Youth and
Family Services for incidents of child abuse,
pets had been abused in 88%
of cases, usually by the parent; a
behavioural triad of cruelty to
animals, bed wetting and fire setting
in childhood is strongly indicative
of likely violent behaviour in
adulthood; and there is a significantly
higher incidence of
behaviour involving cruelty to animals, usually prior
to age 25, in
people who go on to commit mass or serial murders.
A book
published in 1999 brings together useful research in this area and
charts some actions already being taken to address this problem. It is
titled: 'Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Animal Abuse: Linking the
Circles of Compassion for Prevention and Intervention'. When someone
is
ill-treated or relegated to a demeaning position in society, they
often
respond by venting their frustration on someone whose societal
position is
even lower than their own. By destroying or tormenting the
weak, such as
an animal or a child, the oppressor becomes the master
who has, in turn,
tortured them. The anger is directed at an innocent
instead of the
perpetrator of their own victimisation, and it is
difficult to break the
cycle of abuse.
Humane education is
needed to develop an enlightened society that has
empathy and respect
for life, thus breaking the cycle of abuse. The aim is
to create a
culture of caring. It is also a sound investment - working on
the
prevention of criminality and antisocial behaviour, which can have a
massive societal cost, both in terms of reduction in 'quality of life'
and
in financial costs incurred through criminal damage, maintenance
of law
enforcement systems, court costs, prison systems and juvenile
work.
The following claims were made for humane education by the
US National
Parent-Teacher Association Congress in 1993:
"Children trained to extend justice, kindness, and mercy to
animals become
more just, kind and considerate in their relations to
one another.
Character training along these lines in youths will
result in men and
women of broader sympathies; more humane, more
law-abiding - in every
respect more valuable - citizens. Humane
education is the teaching in
schools and colleges of the nations the
principles of justice, goodwill,
and humanity towards all life. The
cultivation of the spirit of kindness
to animals is but the starting
point toward that larger humanity that
includes one's fellow of every
race and clime. A generation of people
trained in these principles
will solve their international difficulties as
neighbours and not as
enemies."
The practice and reinforcement of kindness, of care and
compassion towards
animals, through formal and non-formal educational
processes is, thus,
viewed as having a range of positive spin-offs in
terms of pro-social
attitudes towards people of a different gender,
ethnic group, race,
culture or nation.
Please present this to
your colleagues. It appears the negation of animals
as sentient beings
is so rampant in this society from it's schools that
perform
vivisections on live dogs like Gunnison High School recently, to
that
of the cruel practices of intensive farming reflect that human beings
are moving in a concerning direction. It is an indicator. Respect for
animals in all areas is where vital change begins.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your
Address]