Eleonora Gullone's book shows that there are strong links between different types of abuse.
2020 Rationalist.org — Evolution Tree content
Eleonora Gullone's new book, "Animal Cruelty, Antisocial Behavior and Aggression: More Than Just Connection," published as part of the Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics Series, demonstrates strong empirical evidence linking different types of abuse. There is a growing belief today that there is a significant connection between how we treat animals and humans. This book is a comprehensive resource on the relationship between types of animal and human abuse that will be of interest to many readers.
The Connection Between Them
Eleonora Gullone, an Associate Professor of Psychology at Monash University in Melbourne, brings a strong research background to her book. This allows us to analyze what we know and don't know about the link between animal abuse and antisocial behavior. The connection, she explains, often occurs alongside or in conjunction with violence against animals, and we tend to ignore the warning signs.
Gullone's book consists of 10 chapters, including "Historical and Contemporary Conceptualization of Animal Cruelty," "The Development of Antisocial Behavior," "Biological and Individual Differences as Risk Factors," "Environmental Risk Factors," and "Etiological Accounts for Animal Cruelty." The final chapter reaches some general conclusions and highlights what is needed for future research.
Another area requiring further research is the development of animal cruelty. This is because there is still a lack of studies examining the normative development of animal cruelty. More cross-cultural studies are needed because “ the conceptualization of animal cruelty as deviance may not always be valid according to the culture’s standards of behavior towards animals ” (p. 131). We need more research on animal cruelty, and it is also crucial that we remove the property status of animals in legal systems. Currently, animals are treated as property, just like a bicycle or a backpack.
Gullone argues that while violence against humans has traditionally and consistently overshadowed violence against animals, the strong link between the two can lead to greater understanding of the etiology of human cruelty by reducing neglect of animal cruelty. Therefore, by recognizing that behaviors similar to animal cruelty are not simply the result of an acceptable and isolated childhood, but rather part of other antisocial behavioral processes, we can not only reduce cruelty to animals but also improve human safety and our perception of all forms of aggression. Furthermore, work has already begun in this direction. Forty-seven of the fifty states in the US have laws criminalizing animal cruelty. Animal cruelty is receiving more attention in public media. Gullone emphasizes that this increased awareness is a positive sign, stating, "Many crimes that could be committed against humans could be foreseen and prevented thanks to behaviors previously observed towards animals." (pp. 135–136)
In conclusion, Gullone's idea that there are strong empirical links between animal cruelty and other crimes has proven to be a matter worthy of considerable attention. Gullone concludes his book with these words: “…laws should punish criminals according to the seriousness of their crime, without discrimination based on the type of target of a particular crime.” (p. 139) According to him, because of the strong connection between different types of abuse and violence, a difference in perception on this issue would benefit all living beings, including humans.
Although I don't have much knowledge in this field, I think this is a very worthwhile book to read. It highlights the need for greater legal protection for animals and for animal cruelty to be taken much more seriously than it currently is. As the author points out, this will benefit not only humans.
Translator: A. Ege Palaz
References
Psychologytoday, “Animal Cruelty and Antisocial Behavior: A Very Strong Link” < https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/201212/animal-cruelty-and-antisocial-behavior-very-strong-link >
Originally published on Medium on March 06, 2025. English translation of “Hayvanlara Eziyet ve Antisosyal Davranış Arasındaki İlişki”.