Dr. Elizabeth Ormerod - The Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS) and The International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO)
Criminal acts of cruelty to animals and violence towards people in family contexts is a devastating and widespread social problem that affects all societies with severe ramifications for the welfare of animals, humans and safe, humane communities. There is strong evidence that violence towards animals and violence towards people are often concurrent and therefore known as the Link. Significant number of animals are threatened, harmed or killed as a form of psychological extortion to keep spouses, children and elders from leaving abusive homes. There is a growing recognition that the Link is an issue of concern for public health.
To understand the complex and multi-layered nature of the LINK between animal cruelty and human violence the authors will introduce the bioecological model which has the potential to support human and animal welfare professionals to integrate knowledge and skills from different disciplines and help identify novel approaches that aim for early response, prevention, and intervention. The authors will use cases from the field to demonstrate the value of transdisciplinary collaboration among professionals to develop carefully developed solutions for lives caught in violent situations. Cross-cultural perspectives on intimate partner/family and animal violence and its implications, and recommendations for family violence services that are culturally acceptable and competent will be discussed.
Key Learnings
- Understand the Bioecological model as a new and effective approach for addressing the LINK between animal abuse and human violence
- Understand Transdisciplinary Collaboration and its potential to address animal and human violence and develop effective solutions
- Gain knowledge on the socio-cultural nature of animal and human violence and how to work with families from a range of cultural backgrounds.