DOMPET

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND PET MALTREATMENT

Description and objectives

The general objective of the project “DOMPET-VIOLENCE: The Connection between Domestic Violence and Pet Maltreatment” is to understand the existence of this phenomenon, both in percentage and quality, knowing the relevance of the relationship between “mistreatment of animals and domestic violence”, with the aim to develop the awareness necessary, promoting specific measures of prevention (the so-called systems of “ alarm and early recognition”) as well as appropriate and right legislative actions for contrasting the phenomenon itself. Studies and researches conducted by scientist principally in the USA, Australia, UK, Canada and New Zeeland, have underlined the existence of the relation “pet abuse/domestic violence” with a perspective and purpose of prevention. (Volant, Johnson, Gullone and Coleman, 2008).

Methodology

According to us it will be interesting and useful to examine and interview (in addition to women victims of domestic violence) also offenders of domestic violence, veterinaries, children in the schools, younger victims of domestic violence or children witnesses of domestic violence or mistreatment towards animals. Thorough the study of all the actors involved in this phenomenon (women intimidate/abused by their partners, younger victim of abuses in his/her family, witnesses of domestic violence, abuses towards domestic animals or men that committed that acts of domestic violence towards their family or animals) it will be possible to have an estimate of the phenomenon and a report existent between mistreatment of animal and domestic violence.

Targets

Women victim of crime, youngers victim of violence and professionals operators

Working Group

Leaders:
Associazione LIBRA Onlus
CRINVE| Scuola di Alta Formazione in Scienze Criminologiche
FDE Istituto di Criminologia di Mantova

Partners:
INTERVICT
GEVHA
Institute of Human-Animal Connection