Animal abuse amongst young people aged 13 to 17: Trends, trajectories and theoretical explanations

Published: November 2008

The aims of this report are four-fold:

  • To examine the prevalence and frequency of animal abuse during adolescence and compare this with involvement in other forms of both violent and nonviolent delinquent behaviours;
  • To investigate a broad range of characteristics amongst those who get involved in animal abuse, other violent behaviour, non-violent offending and nonoffenders;
  • To identify how offending trajectories of abuse against animals develop over time and compare this to trajectories of interpersonal violence;
  • And to isolate those characteristics that best explain different animal abuse offending trajectories.

Authors / Editors

Prof Susan McVie OBE FRSE

Research Themes

General Resources