Should children who torture small animals be punished?

[cestpaspossible]

and how?

[Maddy McCall]

1. No. Their whole family should receive intense counseling.

[Ladyhawk]

10. Agree. My brother was / is an animal torturer.

Now he tortures inmates in prison. :(

[Taragui Junkie]

12. Punishment may harm their self-esteem

even further. You're right. Counseling, understanding, and love.

[mark11727]

2. Well, in *'s case, they shouldn't be elected president...

...or even nominated, for that matter.

[sam sarrha]

7. what is the story in * 's case..??

[BikeWriter]

13. * blew up frogs with firecrackers as a kid.

[DBoon]

9. You've just supported #1

If ever there was a whole family that required counseling, the Bush family qualifies

[sam sarrha]

3. lots of kids that do that end up on death row or as war criminals..

[wtmusic]

4. Absolutely

time out. Jail.

[Swede]

5. There should be some mandatory counseling.

We all know where this leads if untreated.

[lakemonster11]

6. Their parents should punish them.

[Maddy McCall]

8. Lots of times, the parents are at least partially to blame for the...

behaviour of the child. I fail to see how punishing a troubled child helps the child, when what the child really needs is some serious counseling.

[mike_c]

11. NO! In many cases that kind of disregard for the suffering of others...

...is likely to be a symptom of family violence and "punishment" as a means of control. Further punishment is likely to make matters worse-- as in make the behaviors more furtive and sophisticated-- it couples the rewards derived from the behavior to the gratification of outsmarting authority and not getting caught.

I agree with the poster above who said that the whole family should undergo VERY careful and comprehensive counselling.

[Historic NY]

14. A profile of most serial killers shows that they did abuse & torture

animals. A child caught doing this definitely needs counseling.

[expatriot]

15. I remember a lesson my father taught me....

...my father is a meat-eater, fisherman, hunter and trapper but he taught me a valuable lesson in compassion when I was very young, about 4 or so I was using a shovel to dig up an ant mound by the farmhouse we rented, I was just doing it just for something to do and he saw me doing it and said, "How would you feel if someone dug up your home?"

In one sentence, he taught me that senseless cruelty to animals was not sport and not entertainment even though he fished, hunted and trapped (he has since stopped hunting and trapping).

Now unfortunately everyone in society does not have the parental intervention I had, so that is where society needs to step in and teach kids the boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable actions, that sadism is not an acceptable outlet for your anger or boredom.

[autorank]

16. Well if they wet the bed and play with fire also...

...good luck!



"Rumors of my departure are greatly exaggerated...by me." autorank

[AlGore-08.com]

17. As kids, serial killers often torture animals

The red flags that you (theorhetically) have a serial killer in the making are a kid doing all three of these things:

Setting fires
Torturing animals
Wetting the bed

[Gemini Cat]

20. I understand the first two obviously

but wetting the bed?? How does that factor in?

[LisaL]

30. Many serial killers have wet the bed as children-well,

longer than usual, obviously, since all children would wet the bet when they are very young.

[AlGore-08.com]

33. It's bed wetting beyond the normal age + animal torture + firesetting

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;jsessionid=9dukjapsq232d?tname=macdonald-triad&curtab=2222_1&hl=bedwetting&sbid=lc02a

MacDonald triad
In psychology, there are three major personality traits in children that are said to be warning signs for the tendency to become a serial killer. They were first described by JM MacDonald in his article The Threat to Kill in the American Journal of Psychiatry, pages 125-130 in 1963.

Firestarting, invariably just for the thrill of destroying things.

Cruelty to animals. Most children can be cruel to animals, such as pulling the legs off of spiders, but future serial killers often kill larger animals, like dogs and cats, and frequently for their solitary enjoyment rather than to impress peers.

Bedwetting beyond the age when children normally grow out of such behaviour.

[jukes]

35. mechanics of sociopathy

are not clearly understood, but the big 3 are linked in the history of most (if not all) sociopaths.

recent research indicates a much more frequent incidence of this condition than was previously realized; not all act-out as serial-killers, most seek positions of power and abuse that power in very antisocial ways (cops/military/ MANY corporate-climbers.)

[Wapsie B]

18. Counseling, without question.

Something's not right there, with the kid or the family.

[mike_c]

19. it's interesting that so many of the replies have advocated...

...counseling or treatment, yet the votes are overwhelmingly in favor of punishment. Either most of the counseling advocates are not voting, or they regard counseling itself as punishment. An interesting-- and scary-- perspective.

[Misunderestimator]

34. It's sort of an "other" kind of answer...

I agree with those advocating counseling, but some form of punishment (not the counseling itself) might be called for, such as having no pets or being grounded... :shrug: Besides the obvious need for counseling if a child is at the stage of harming animals, they should also learn that there are consequences to their actions, ergo the punishment (and NOT physical punishment, which is why I didn't answer the poll... the punishment itself would have to be clarified).

[thecai]

21. Absolutely...

... that's one of the indications that the child could develop into a psychopath or sociopath. It's better to train and correct children while they are you, before victims begin to appear.
I'm not sure what "punishment" is effective, possibly restrictions? I agree the entire family should seek counselling.

[cestpaspossible]

22. Does burning ants with a magnifying glass count?

[mike_c]

23. only in a karmic sense....

You might start learning to search for bits of food and that sort of thing during this lifetime, just in case....

[Vektor]

24. HELL YES.

Anyone who tortures animals needs to be punished, regardless of age. Children need to be counseled and reprimanded, preferably by being "scared straight" by a visit from a uniformed officer who comes to the house, and sternly speaks to the child about how this is a punishable offense. Then, restriction or grounding of some kind needs to occur, and then the child will need some serious "sensitivity training" if you will, preferably via some sort of community service that helps animals. If the kid is real young, an educational visit to a shelter or wildlife center where they can learn about respecting living things is recommended.

My sister's troubled stepson killed the family's pet bird at the age of about ten or so. She and her husband used these methods, and there hasn't been a single episode of such behavior since - he is now sixteen. He later felt terrible remorse about what happened, and hasn't been even remotely violent toward any animal since. The cop coming to the house really shook him up.

It takes a tremendous amount of restraint for me to respond logically to this question however. My first instinct is to say "torture them back in the exact same way."

Animal cruelty is one of the single most abhorrent crimes imaginable. I have zero tolerance for it.

[newfaceinhell]

27. *applauds*

Well said. I find it hard to exercise restraint on this subject, too, but the approach you outline sounds very sensible.

[Vektor]

28. Thanks!

It worked for my sister's family - and I agree with treating violence of any kind, no matter what the species of the victim, with swift intervention and education about respecting other living things.

If that doesn't work, tossing the perp into a vat of fire ants might do the trick. :evilgrin:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

25. iknow someone who tortured a dog every time he was molested

so i dont think punishment is the cure...investigating why they are doing it is much more important as is counselling.

[VOX]

26. Yes. But not physically punished -- that just causes more damage.

Most kids who torture animals have some *serious* issues and need counseling, pronto.

The punishment should take the form of sanctions, loss of privileges, etc. That's the way the world works.

[baldguy]

29. Yes

and get psychological counseling.

[zanne]

31. NO EXCUSE for torturing animals!

We're trying to have a civilization here!

[Catchawave]

32. First Strike (HSUS) - What Parents should know......

http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/first_strike_the_connection_between_animal_cruelty_and_human_violence/children_and_animal_cruelty_what_parents_should_know.html

As natural "explorers," don't all children sometimes harm animals?
Absolutely not. While some children kill insects, few torture pets or other small creatures. If allowed to harm animals, children are more likely to be violent later in life. Animal cruelty, like any other violence, should never be attributed to a stage of development.

What kind of children are cruel to animals?

Serious or repeated animal cruelty is seen more often in boys than in girls. Children as young as four may harm animals, but such behavior is most common during adolescence. Cruelty is often associated with children who do poorly in school and have low self-esteem and few friends. Children who are cruel to animals are often characterized as bullies and may have a history of truancy, vandalism, and other antisocial behaviors.

What does animal cruelty indicate about family dynamics?

Researchers say that a child's violence against animals often represents displaced hostility and aggression stemming from neglect or abuse of the child or of another family member. Animal cruelty committed by any member of a family, whether parent or child, often means child abuse occurs in that family.

What should I do if my child or a neighbor's child has harmed an animal?

If you suspect your child has deliberately harmed an animal, talk to your child. Try to discover what caused the cruelty. Communicate with your child, your child's teachers, and your child's friends. The more you know about your child's activities, the better able you will be to guide your child in making compassionate and humane choices.

Something as serious as animal cruelty, however, should not be handled alone. Seek help from a family counselor, school counselor, pediatrician, or clergy member. If you know another child who has harmed an animal, report what you know immediately to your local animal-welfare organization or police department. Alert the child's school principal or guidance counselor.

What should I tell my child about the other child's behavior?

Explain that animal abuse is often a sign of other serious problems and should be addressed by the proper authorities. Knowing that a friend has serious problems can be quite troubling for a child, as can witnessing animal cruelty. Your child may need to sort out the feelings the incident raises.

What should I do if an otherwise "good" child harms an animal one time?

Though innocent exploration may be corrected simply by talking with the child, any time a child causes an animal pain or suffering you should be concerned.

What is the difference between innocent exploration and calculated animal cruelty?

Innocent exploration may come of simple curiosity, but calculated animal cruelty is motivated by a desire to harm. While even innocent acts of cruelty should be addressed, it is particularly important to intervene when a child is insensitive to the obvious distress of an animal, repeats a harmful behavior, or derives pleasure from causing an animal pain.

How can I teach my child to respect animals?

Teach by example; use real-life situations to instill a sense of respect for all life. Invite your child to help you feed the birds or rescue a bug. With older children, discuss animal-cruelty cases publicized in the news. Encourage children to speak up for animals.

How can my child's school incorporate humane education?

Humane education should be part of every school curriculum. The Youth Education Division of The HSUS publishes materials that help teachers establish a classroom theme of kindness, respect, and tolerance. For subscription information, contact The HSUS's Youth Education Division, the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education (NAHEE), at

67 Norwich Essex Turnpike
East Haddam, CT 06423-1736

[leftofthedial]

36. loss of priveleges

family counseling also

it's a sign of pathology