Tuesday, 06 July 2010 09:41

Why doctors should worry about animal abuse, 20% of the abuse of pets is associated with a violent family environment, these attacks are often used as a means of blackmail, control or revenge, repeated acts of cruelty against animals often be a sign of asocial disorder. Despite the terrible brutality that hold the acts of cruelty against animals do not occupy the front pages of any newspaper or look too shocking to the public. However, they have an ultimate meaning that should interest us as a society.

Those who abuse animals, experts say, are up to five times more likely to commit violent crimes against persons.


A British teenager who gets to his brother's hamster in the microwave, a group of boys who crucified a cat in Valencia and another who brutally murdered a donkey in Extremadura, three Mexicans who tortured a dog and hang videos the web .. Animals skinned, burned, impaled, mutilated, beaten ...



It is common to read or hear phrases like 'are things of children' when dealing with these events. It is true that sometimes, in a game, especially in groups, some commit minor acts regrettable but, say psychiatrists and criminologists, other "is a warning sign" that people do not listen, "not a safety valve harmless in a healthy individual, in the words of Allen Brantley, supervisor and FBI Special Agent, one of the world's leading experts in the field.



"Play to kill animals that we do not inspire compassion, such as mussels, it is quite normal. But some children do so repeatedly, even with the benefit, and that's a problem," explains ELMUNDO.es Francisco Montanes, Chief of Psychiatry Alcorcón Hospital Foundation.


Asocial behavior



In countries like the U.S., interest in such events is increasing. Not only because of increased awareness towards animals but by the ever-increasing evidence of the relationship between acts of animal cruelty and other crimes ranging from drug use to the serial murders.


In the 80s, Alan Felthous, an expert in forensic psychiatry, conducted several studies consistently showing how behind the attacks on people were, in many cases, a history of animal abuse.


Their work, carried out with men especially violent inmates in U.S. prisons and confirmed.


After that, others have analyzed the issue. In 2002, the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 'was released a study in which they were associated with repeated acts of cruelty to animals during childhood with the development of antisocial personality disorder, the presence of antisocial traits and substance abuse.


"Approximately half of the social individuals incur sadistic behavior and if they do before the 10 years the prognosis is worse," Montanes. The child moves from one isolated act of violence against an animal to commit other crimes "is an escalation," the expert added. "If you repeat the act and will increase the size of the animal, if you enjoy ... The possibilities are greater."


Frank Ascione, Department of Psychology at the University of Utah (USA) and a recognized expert, wrote in the Bulletin of Juvenile Justice in 2001: "The abuse of animals and interpersonal violence share common characteristics: both types of victims are living creatures, have the capacity to experience pain and could die from injuries inflicted. "



An opportunity to intervene


Outreach in Spain to this problem is low. "We are in the queue," says Núria Querol i Viñas, family physician, University Hospital Mutua de Terrassa, a criminologist and expert on these issues. "The mistreatment of animals is shocking and rarely does anything," he adds.


However, he stressed Querol, who is also member of the American Society of Criminology, "when detected cases of children who abuse animals must be careful because there may be a conduct disorder. You can not overlook, is a opportunity to intervene. "


At this point she agrees with Dr. Montanes, which affects the need to "go to a psychiatrist in cases of cruelty to animals because at first these people can be easily remedied. Lack of impulse control, empathy, management of anger ... are things that can be treated if caught early, "adds Querol.



One of the objectives of this expert is to establish in Spain, as already exist in other countries, intervention programs to work with these people because "it is very important to change the values and is not systematically," he concludes.