Why animal cruelty damages society as a whole?

Professionals in various fields, such as law enforcement, veterinary medicine, and social work, play crucial roles as first responders in identifying and addressing both animal and human abuse. This is the reason that animal cruelty has been included in psychiatric diagnostic manuals, where perpetrators not only of domestic violence but of violent crime in general are more likely to have a history of animal abuse, compared to others.

The latest, horrendous case that went viral is particularly disturbing, as it had been children who tortured a small dog named Viki to death. It is crucial to remind us all that this is not a normal behaviour of mentally healthy children that can be traced back to “curiosity” but a red flag, because children who torture animals display a common trait of serious mental illnesses such as psychopathy,which includes lack of empathy and is directly correlated to future violence against humans. An early warning sign, so to speak:

Another study showed that more than 50% of young individuals who witnessed domestic violence between their parents also participated in acts of animal cruelty. Among these children, nearly 70% were boys. Those who engage in animal cruelty tend to exhibit additional
antisocial behaviours, such as a diminished capacity for empathy towards both animals and humans experiencing violence, along with increased emotional and behavioural challenges. Animal cruelty, hence, should never be seen as isolated but connected to the surroundings, including a society that tolerates those kinds of violence as ‘normal’