Nonhuman Animal Cruelty, Bullying, and Behavioral Difficulties among Women

Abstract

The current study sought to examine the relationship between behavioral difficulties, animal abuse, and bullying among women. Five hundred female undergraduate students enrolled in Introductory Psychology completed surveys assessing animal abuse experiences, bullying behaviors, and victimization of bullying during their K-12 school years. Participants also completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire which evaluated their behavioral difficulties. Results revealed a significant relationship between animal abuse, bullying, and victimization experiences. Moreover, animal abusers displayed significantly more behavioral problems when compared to non-abusers. Results from regression analyses indicated that animal abuse, bullying and victimization were significant predictors of various behavioral issues. These results suggest that behavioral difficulties associated with female animal abusers are similar to those related to male perpetrators.