CRIM10001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Sentience, Essentialism, Bsc Young Boys
29 May 2018
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Week 4
Animal Cruelty
Why Examine It?
• Animals play a central (although often unconscious) role in the day to day activities of people
• Our proximity to animal cruelty is also often unconscious
• There is a link between interpersonal violence and violence towards animals (the violence
graduation thesis)
• Animal cruelty demonstrate the limits of law in controlling human behaviour; the overwhelming
bulk of animal cruelty is not captured by criminal law
• Exposing tendencies within the discipline of criminology (‘criminological speciesism’)
The (Mis)use of Animals
The use and misuse of animals occurs across a range of different contexts:
• Economic: farmers, vets, breeders, shooters, pest controllers, live/frozen meat exporters
• Industrial: leather, wool, fur, feathers, meat
• Ecological: biodiversity, eco-systemic health
• Medical: organ transplants, cancer remedies?
• Sport and entertainment: rodeos, bullfighting, horse/greyhound racing, circuses, pet pageants,
show contests, film
• Consumer safety: animal experiments (e.g. rabbits in cosmetic testing)
• Educational: zoos, wildlife parks, sanctuaries, documentaries
Criminology and Animal Cruelty
Animal cruelty is generally considered outside of the frame of criminological inquiry. Typically
speaking, most criminologists have erred on the side of appreciating the importance of crime
against humans more than crime against animals. There has traditionally been a delineation
between harm against individuals and harm against animals. Criminological attention on animal
cruelty has overwhelmingly applied a very individualised theory of explanation; it has sought to
understand why particular individuals commit these forms of harm. Where it has been considered,
it has generally only been a particularly narrow view of animal cruelty.
“Criminal justice professionals, including police, district attorneys, judges, and criminologists do
not appear to regard animal abuse as a serious or common crime. Statistics on criminal behaviour
rarely if ever include animal cruelty as a type of offense … Criminologists have largely ignored
animal cruelty as a topic worthy of investigation” -Arnold Arluke and Carter Luke
There are several reasons why this may be the case:
• Human wellbeing is privileged over that of non-human wellbeing
• The criminal justice system is overburdened by far more serious or urgent forms of harm
necessitating prioritisation
• There is a common perception that animal cruelty is rare and that such cruelty is the result of
abnormal people doing abnormal things in abnormal circumstances
Perspectives on Humans and Animals
How we think about animals and animal cruelty will largely depend on the broad philosophical
viewpoint adopted by those defining such cruelty. For example, those involved in the live export
trade will frame the limits of animal cruelty very differently from members of PETA.
One’s philosophical location informs how we view animal cruelty, the extent to which animal cruelty
may be justified under certain conditions, and thus our perspective on the importance of legal
responses to harmful practices involving animals. These perspectives inform the frame that defines
what is and is not considered to constitute animal cruelty.
Defining ‘Animal Cruelty’
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Animal cruelty is generally considered outside of the frame of criminological inquiry. Typically speaking, most criminologists have erred on the side of appreciating the importance of crime against humans more than crime against animals. There has traditionally been a delineation between harm against individuals and harm against animals. Criminological attention on animal cruelty has overwhelmingly applied a very individualised theory of explanation; it has sought to understand why particular individuals commit these forms of harm. Where it has been considered, it has generally only been a particularly narrow view of animal cruelty. Criminal justice professionals, including police, district attorneys, judges, and criminologists do not appear to regard animal abuse as a serious or common crime. Statistics on criminal behaviour rarely if ever include animal cruelty as a type of offense criminologists have largely ignored animal cruelty as a topic worthy of investigation -arnold arluke and carter luke.
