Why Does an Animal Shelter Care About Bullying?

Fact: Hurt people hurt animals and people.

The connection between the various forms of violence has been extensively studied and researched. This research has found*:

• Children who abuse animals often have experienced abuse or neglect.
• When children abuse animals it is likely a precursor to future violence.
• There is a direct link between school-age students who practice bullying and adult perpetrators of domestic violence.
• Most teen school shooters have a history of abusing animals. 
• Many people incarcerated for violent offenses to people report abusing animals as part of their first experiences with violence. 
• The majority of families experiencing domestic violence report their family pet was also abused by the perpetrator of violence. 
• Virtually all serial killers report tormenting and abusing animals early in life.  

People, abused by people, often abuse animals. People who abuse animals often also abuse people. And so the cycle goes.

So how can we stop the cycle of violence towards animals and people?

By promoting social and emotional development in students. Social emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

Students who participate in programs that emphasize social and emotional learning have:

• Better social-emotional skills
• Improved attitudes about self, others, and schools
• Positive classroom behavior
• 11% point gain on standardized achievement test
• Fewer conduct problems
• Less emotional stress
• Lower drug use

"We are what we repeatedly do."
Aristotle      

If you have any questions about the No More Bullying!® Curriculum, please contact Ashley Stanley, Humane Education Manager. 

*The above information was collected from numerous published sources, primarily the National Link Coalition, the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the American Humane Association and the United States Department of Justice. 

** Information collected from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional (CASEL) www.casel.org