Animal abuse and child maltreatment: a review of the literature and findings from a UK study : NSPCC inform

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Animal abuse and child maltreatment

A review of the literature and findings from a UK study

By Simon Hackett and Emma Uprichard (October 2007)

Animal abuse and child maltreatment: a review of the literature and findings from a UK study (PDF, 724KB) critically reviews the body of existing international research literature on the co-existence of animal and child abuse and presents the findings from new research into patterns of animal ownership and the treatment of animals in British families.

The authors suggest that all professionals working in the child welfare field should be alert to the possibility of animal cruelty in the backgrounds of both child and adult service users. Practitioners should explore the significance of attachment to animals as part of wider assessments of family dynamics and relationships.