When the client is not the abuser, but one of the abused

The question of client confidentiality and reporting animal abuse is complicated when the client is not the abuser, and when the abuse (of both people and animals) may escalate precisely because it has been (or may be) reported

When the client is not the abuser, but one of the abused: Commentary on Lachance on breaking silence

The question of client confidentiality and reporting animal abuse is complicated when the client is not the abuser, and when the abuse (of both people and animals) may escalate precisely because it has been (or may be) reported

Who will help in situations of intimate partner violence exploring personal attitudes and bystander behaviours /

Abstract: Intimate partner violence (IPV) continues to be a problem within society, with many studies focusing on general attitudes toward violence against women as a gauge of positive societal change in this area. To investigate whether individual personal attitudes toward violence against women were predictive of prosocial bystander behaviours in situations of IPV, 157 Australian community members completed an online survey. This survey investigated the factors of bystander intention, bystander self-efficacy, general and privacy attitudes toward violence against women, fear of intervening and the effects/impact of psychological abuse as predictors of willingness to intervene in IPV situations. Bystander intention, self-efficacy and gender were significantly associated with willingness to intervene, whilst respondent’s attitudes toward violence against women was not. The implications of these findings for promoting social control and bystander intervention in situations of IPV are discussed

When the plate is full aggression among chefs /

Aggression within the culinary industry has been an ongoing and under reported issue among professional chefs, not only in Australia but also internationally. Limited research suggests that there is high prevalence of aggression/bullying within the culinary industry, and that this may be a product of a unique combination of physical, psychological, and environmental demands embedded in a culture where such aggression is normalised. The current, survey-based, study aimed to assess whether chefs were indeed more aggressive than the general population, and if so, to examine the factors of perceived stress, rank within the kitchen hierarchy, gender, and licit substance use to identify where any differences may lie. Ninety-one Central Queensland based, Australian, chefs were recruited as participants in this study, consisting of 67 males and 24 females. Participants were asked to complete a self-report survey containing the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire, a Workplace Stress Scale, and demographic questions pertaining to gender, rank, and alcohol and tobacco use. Results revealed that chefs were significantly more aggressive than a geographically similar general population. It was found that when looking at rank within the kitchen hierarchy, common chefs/line cook, particularly male chefs, were significantly more aggressive than other ranks within the kitchen. Conclusion and directions for future research are discussed

Attitudes to animals: demographics within a community sample

The results of various studies have suggested a range of demographic and personality variables that may impact upon attitudes towards the treatment of non-human species however little consensus has been reached within the literature. The Attitude to Animals Scale (AAS), developed by Herzog and associates, has been used within various limited populations as a quantitative measure of attitudes towards the treatment of non-human species. In the current study the AAS was administered to a large community sample within Australia resulting in approximately 600 respondents. Demographic variables such as age, educational level, presence of children in the current dwelling, current and past companion animal ownership were found to have no statistically significant effect on AAS scores. Both occupation and income were found to have an effect on AAS scores. All of these variables are examined and their effects (or lack thereof) are discussed

Animal Cruelty and delinquency, criminality and youth violence

Nearly five decades ago, Margaret Mead (1964, p. 21) stated, "The worst thing that can happen to a ·child is for him (sic) to harm an animal and get away with it. Animal cruelty kills respect for life." In the intervening years the concept of the "Link" (i.e., that engagement in deliberate harm of animals is related in some manner to propensity for violence more generally) has been explored from a number of perspectives, including (but not limited to) criminology, psychology, sociology and social work (see HSUS, 2007). Cruelty to animals ( CTA) is recognized across these disciplines as being of major concern not only for the health and welfare of the animal victim (Benetato, Reisman, & McCobb, 2011; Taylor & Signal, 2008), but also for the psychological, physical and social wellbeing of the perpetrator (e.g., Currie, 2006) and for society generally (Hensley, Tallichet, & Dutkiewicz, 2009; McPhedran, 2009). Throughout this chapter, we bear all three groups in mind as we present an overview of the main research in the area of animal cruelty and its links to other delinquency and criminality

Community demographics and the propensity to report animal cruelty

The last decade has seen an increased awareness concerning links between violence to animals and violence to humans. This has resulted in a number of cross-reporting initiatives between family service providers and animal welfare organisations. The success of such initiatives rests upon individuals being willing to report such violence. Thus there is a need to determine which variables influence an individual’s willingness to report deliberate animal cruelty/abuse. The aim of the current study was to examine demographic and attitudinal variables to ascertain their impact upon propensity to report deliberate animal harm. A telephone questionnaire resulted in 1208 valid responses from members of the general community. Results showed a number of variables which impacted upon the propensity to report including gender, occupation and acknowledgement of the link between family violence and deliberate animal harm. These variables and their implications are discussed

Propensity to report intimate partner violence in Australia : community demographics

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has devastating consequences both for the individuals involved and the community more widely. The role of the community in the prevention of IPV has been noted both in the literature and in recent initiatives within Australia. Specifically contingency specifying stimuli like community attitudes towards both IPV and women have been suggested to contribute to the prevalence of IPV. Logically the success of any community-based initiative to reduce IPV rests upon individuals of that community being willing to report such violence. As such, there is a need to determine which variables may influence an individual’s willingness to report IPV. The aim of the current study was to examine demographic and attitudinal variables to ascertain their relationship with propensity to report. A telephone questionnaire resulted in 1208 valid responses from members of the general community. Results showed a number of variables which were related with report propensity including gender, age, income level and awareness of whom to report such incidents to. These variables and their implications are discussed