Childhood Cruelty to Animals: Psychiatric and Demographic Correlates |
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Authors: | Barbara W Boat Erica Pearl Jaclyn E Barnes Linda Richey Denise Crouch Drew Barzman |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Psychiatry , University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati, Ohio, USA barbara.boat@uc.edu;3. Department of Pediatrics , Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio, USA |
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Abstract: | This retrospective study compared frequencies of aggressive behaviors and abuse histories noted during a psychiatric intake assessment for children where animal cruelty was endorsed and a control sample of youth for whom animal cruelty was not endorsed to determine if rates of concerning behaviors differed significantly. Relative to the control group, the cruelty group was significantly more likely to have had problems with peers, perpetrated bullying, experienced sexual abuse, and have a history of sexually acting out. Recommendations for childhood animal cruelty screening in mental health settings are discussed. |
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Keywords: | adolescent aggression animal cruelty assessment/evaluation children maltreatment mental health |
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