Animal abuse a 'danger signal'
Leah Moore
originaly published by NATIONAL NEWS, 27jul04
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,10254050%255E953,00.html

ANIMAL abuse should be treated as a serious "public health issue" with far-reaching ramifications, rather than an unfortunate anomaly, a visiting US psychologist says.

Utah State University professor of family and human development Frank Ascione said that despite conclusive research showing a link between animal cruelty and child abuse, family violence and other violent acts committed by both adults and children, there was still a lack of recognition of its "red flag" potential.

"We've known about it, but we also don't want to know about it - I think there is some element of denial, and that was true with the child abuse movement, domestic violence movement, and it is currently true with the abuse of the elderly," he said.

"Even if (legislators) are not really enamoured of animals, they need to understand that these are issues that touch the lives of children, that touch the lives of women and families, and they really need to address it as a public health issue."

Research by Professor Ascione, who was in Brisbane yesterday, showed children who had been abused were three or four times as likely to abuse animals as children who had not been abused.

Men prosecuted for animal cruelty were up to five times as likely to have been arrested for violent crimes, and 54 per cent of women surveyed at women's refuges reported that their partners had abused or killed their pets.
As animal abuse was obviously an indicator for escalated violence, Professor Ascione said perpetrators should face harsher penalties - not least of all because it would "make law enforcement pay greater attention to it".
RSPCA Queensland CEO Mark Townend said Queensland had the toughest animal cruelty legislation in the country, but magistrates seemed reluctant to use the penalties available.

Mr Townend said human and animal welfare groups, both governmental and non-governmental, as well as police should work together to compile Australian research data.

"Until we do that we are not going to get the accurate data necessary to force action," he said.
Professor Ascione agreed, saying a coalition of these groups increased the detection and prevention radar.
In addition, vets should be forced to report animal cruelty to authorities, in the same way doctors and teachers were required to, as they were the first line of detecting and preventing abuse of both human beings and animals.
The Australian Veterinary Association recently stated that the issue of mandatory reporting of abuse would be one of the main topics of discussion at its biennial policy council meeting in October.