Very true.
edit: Actually, as noted below, you can't necessarily say that animal cruelty is a first step to become a serial killer/rapist/etc. But they are definitely related behaviors.
Edited by intoflatlines - 6/4/10 at 3:45am
Be a part of the community.
It's free, join today!
Very true.
edit: Actually, as noted below, you can't necessarily say that animal cruelty is a first step to become a serial killer/rapist/etc. But they are definitely related behaviors.
No, this is what is called the slippery slope fallacy. While it is a really possibility that among the kind of criminals you describe there may be a higher than average percentage that started this path with animal cruelty, it absurd to think that all animal cruelty lead to psychopathic behaviour on humans and even more illogical to assume that all psycopaths started with animal cruelty.
That said it's a good thing he was put on trial and I hope he'll get saner.
Yeah, I actually didn't read that previous post completely..
Animal cruelty/abuse cannot technically be seen as a step towards serial violence against humans. However, correlational/case studies have suggested that children and adolescents who have been cruel to animals are disproportionately more likely to be violent towards humans as late adolescents and adults. We'll never be able to prove cause and effect here, but these two personality traits are related.
A few peer-reviewed articles, so people don't think I'm just making stuff up:
Petersen, M., & Farrington, D. (2007). Cruelty to animals and violence to people. Victims & Offenders, 2(1), 21-43.
Wright, J., & Hensley, C. (2003). From animal cruelty to serial murder: Applying the graduation hypothesis. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 47(1), 71-88.
In traditional American Indian tribes, when they killed an animal, I gather they thanked the spirit of the animal for providing for them, and used every last part of the animal for one or another purpose. This is a far cry today from the wasteful and destructive mega-slaughter of animals presently. The animals wouldn't be chock full of antibiotics and other chemicals that they pump into them these days either.
You guys should see the Ohio dairy farm abuse clip. It was taken by the undercover activist. This video shows couple of guys punching a calf right in the head,stomping at the neck, lifting in the air and throw it against the floor, stabbing cows in their faces and all over their bodies with barn fork. They were laughing while doing that. It makes me boils in anger.
Here's the clip I'm talking about. Warning - not for the squeamish.
Well stated and thank you for the clarification, maybe I shouldn't make statements while I'm still angered =)

Yeah, I actually didn't read that previous post completely..
Animal cruelty/abuse cannot technically be seen as a step towards serial violence against humans. However, correlational/case studies have suggested that children and adolescents who have been cruel to animals are disproportionately more likely to be violent towards humans as late adolescents and adults. We'll never be able to prove cause and effect here, but these two personality traits are related.
A few peer-reviewed articles, so people don't think I'm just making stuff up:
Petersen, M., & Farrington, D. (2007). Cruelty to animals and violence to people. Victims & Offenders, 2(1), 21-43.
Wright, J., & Hensley, C. (2003). From animal cruelty to serial murder: Applying the graduation hypothesis. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 47(1), 71-88.
I never said "all" for anything or anyone. And thinking more clearly about how I want to state my thoughts now, I shall say this: I feel that if individuals get entertainment or personal satisfaction or sexual gratification from watching or participating in the mental, physical, or sexual abuse of animals I PERSONALLY feel that they are no different from the individuals whom recieve the same effect from these acts towards humans.
My personal feelings with no assumptions that they are the same persons.

No, this is what is called the slippery slope fallacy. While it is a really possibility that among the kind of criminals you describe there may be a higher than average percentage that started this path with animal cruelty, it absurd to think that all animal cruelty lead to psychopathic behaviour on humans and even more illogical to assume that all psycopaths started with animal cruelty.
That said it's a good thing he was put on trial and I hope he'll get saner.
Pretty sure that's the exact same clip in the original post..

You guys should see the Ohio dairy farm abuse clip. It was taken by the undercover activist. This video shows couple of guys punching a calf right in the head,stomping at the neck, lifting in the air and throw it against the floor, stabbing cows in their faces and all over their bodies with barn fork. They were laughing while doing that. It makes me boils in anger.
Here's the clip I'm talking about. Warning - not for the squeamish.

I agree with you here.