Predictors of Views about Punishing Animal Abuse

Shannon K. T. Bailey · Valerie K. Sims · Matthew G. Chin

12 citations0/0 files storedAnthrozoös

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Animal Law and Welfare Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies Torture, Ethics, and Law

Abstract

The current study used scenarios of animal cruelty based on actual events to explore what factors predict perceptions of punishments for animal cruelty. Five hundred thirty-eight university undergraduates participated in the study. Participants read scenarios based on an actual event of animal cruelty and with information on statutes addressing animal cruelty in their state. Participants were then asked to give ratings for punishment of the animal cruelty perpetrator. A canonical correlation analysis was used to test the multivariate shared relationship between the set of eight predictor variables and the criterion variable set of 15 punishment ratings. The response distributions were highly skewed for seven of the 15 criterion variables, highlighting the strong sentiments participants expressed against animal cruelty. The canonical correlation analysis identified significant criterion variables that were predicted by two of the empirically manipulated predictor variables (Perpetrator Age and Location of Crime) along with one subject variable (Participant Femininity). This set of predictor variables correlated with the criterion variable set that included Allowed with Children and Amount of Fine for Suffering. There was a main effect for Perpetrator Age, such that the degree to which participants thought a perpetrator of animal cruelty should be allowed alone with children depends on the age of the perpetrator. Mean responses were stronger for scenarios with perpetrators aged 28 than with perpetrators aged 12. The average response to Amount of Fine for Suffering was larger when the animal cruelty happened at a pet kennel than if the crime occurred at an animal shelter. Implications for these significant predictor and criterion variables are discussed in the context of interdisciplinary theory and practical implications for public policy.

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References

1982Development of reliable and valid short forms of the marlowe-crowne social desirability scale 2005Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Empathy and Forgiveness 1999The Relationship of Animal Abuse to Violence and Other Forms of Antisocial Behavior 1993Psychological Mechanisms in the Human Use of Animals 2000The roles of empathy, anger, and gender in predicting attitudes toward punitive, reparative, and preventative public policies 2008Is Animal Cruelty a “Red Flag” for Family Violence?2003From Animal Cruelty to Serial Murder: Applying the Graduation Hypothesis 1998Gender Differences on Crime and Punishment

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2023Bystanders’ reactions to animal abuse in relation to psychopathy, empathy with people and empathy with nature

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