Family Violence Animal Abuse in Rural Communities

Family Violence & Animal Abuse in Rural Communities Presentation by: Dr. Deborah Doherty and Dr. Jennie Hornosty Cruelty/Crime Connection: Breaking the Chain Conference October 8 -9, 2009 Edmonton, Alberta Based on a research study funded by the Canada Firearms Centre

Welcome

Purpose of the Presentation • Provide background to research on the link between family violence & animal abuse • Discuss research findings – particularly some unique risks in rural communities • Explore ways to translate research into action • Reflect on policy implications

Research Team • Co-principal Researchers – Deborah Doherty, Ph. D. , Executive Director, Public Legal Education and Information Service of NB – Jennie Hornosty, Ph. D. , Professor, Sociology Department, University of New Brunswick • Other Research Team Members – Melissa St. Pierre, Kerri Gibson, Amy Cote, Sonya Smith, Janice Fuller, Brenda Norton, Emily Bell, (Research Assistants) – NB and PEI Research Partners – transition houses, outreach, police, victim services, Chief Firearms Office, SPCA, and others

Background to Research • Relatively few studies about family violence in rural areas • Findings from previous research: • Structural barriers to leaving abuse • Rural women spoke of concerns for pets and farm animals and reluctance to leave • Firearms used as a means of intimidation and control

Research Objectives • Examine the prevalence and status of firearms in situations of family violence • Examine the impact of firearms on abused women’s sense of fear and decision-making • Examine the extent and affect of pet abuse in family violence situations • Provide recommendations for improving programs and services of rural women

Methodology • Informed by feminist and participatory action research methods • Qualitative Data Sources • Focus groups with women, service providers and community • Semi-structured interviews with women and service providers • Quantitative Data Collection • Survey questionnaire for women entering transition houses in New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island using Victim Services in PEI

Data Collected • 391 surveys collected over a 12 month period (November 2005 - December 2006) • 72 participants interviewed or participated in focus groups – 7 focus groups – both provinces (English & French communities in New Brunswick) – 11 interviews with abused women from rural communities – both provinces (English & French in New Brunswick) – 3 interviews with service providers (New Brunswick)

General Characteristics of Survey Participants (n=283) • 82% from New Brunswick; 18% from PEI • 35% were Francophone women • Approximately 7% were Aboriginal women • Women ranged in ages 16 – 75 years (nearly half between ages 31 – 45) • 57% had children accompanying them • 78% lived in rural communities

• 71% unemployed, 58% were receiving social assistance, while 27% had no income • 82% experienced two/more types of abuse • 63% abused by a common-law partner • 51% had two or more admissions to a shelter • 66% had left their partners on at least two occasions

Pets and Family Violence • 70% of all households in the study had pets or farm animals (of these 8% had farm animals) • 45% of households with pets said partner deliberately threatened to harm pet(s) or farm animal(s) to control them, and • 41% said their partner definitely killed/harmed pets • 39% of the women with pets had reason to believe the pet was harmed but did not know for sure

Abused Women Concerned for their Animals “At that time I had a mother, a foal, and I had 3 other horses in the field… he went after [my horse] with a broom, made it so that she was head shy. This is what they do. It’s not just the abuse with a weapon, it’s the mental abuse …then there’s no help for people like me that has the pets…they mean everything to you. They’re not just something that you can just throw away and put down. ” (Abused woman) “I’d beg him to stop [harming the hamsters] and I’d just get a slap for it, so…eventually I’d just cover my face so I couldn’t see or hear it, and, I had to ignore it…it was either that or, god knows what would have happened to me. ” (Abused woman)

Abuse Seen as Another Form of Control Interviews and focus groups, revealed the nature of that control…. “It was always with the animals that he…got rough and extremely violent. Basically it was controlling me through my animals is what it was because if I did something wrong he’d take it out on like kittens that are 4 months old. He would hit them and kick them. If I did something he didn’t like, boom to the cat…He ended up killing one. ” (Abused woman) “When they (the dogs) did things he’d kick them until they were crying. And if I went over to comfort them, he wouldn’t let me, and I’d have to go out, and I would cry, and I couldn’t stand it…. ” (Abused woman)

Children Often Aware of Animal Abuse • 57% of the households with pets had children • 24% of the households with children said the children were aware the animals were harmed or threatened [Note: In interviews and focus groups we learned that abusers often tell the children they will harm the pet if the mother leaves – so children will beg mom to stay – and blame her. ]

Firearms and Animal Abuse • 27% of all women with pets were concerned firearms had been used to kill their pet/animal • 15% said firearms were actually used or believe to be used “When I was in the hospital, he shot her (my dog). . . he took her back in the woods and gave her a piece of meat and shot her. My father had to tell me a few days later. ” (Abused Woman)

Presence of Firearms Makes Women More Fearful Generally • 25% of all women had firearms in household (n=68) – the majority were long guns • 87% of these women lived in rural areas • 66% said they were more fearful for their safety & well-being because of the firearms • 70% of those said presence of firearms affected their decision to disclose or seek help

Threats Can be Direct or Indirect “If you wanted to get up and go to the bathroom and he was wanting to talk to you, then you had to sit there because he would have the gun in his hands and he’d put it against your head and pull the trigger…you know…there were no bullets in it, but at the time you didn’t know… you didn’t know if they were in there or not. ” (abused woman) “It was a loaded gun all the time…There was one time he wanted sex and I said no I didn’t want to. . . and he held the gun to my head that was loaded, to my head, and raped me. ” (abused woman) “He doesn’t have to threaten to kill her, all he has to do is look over at the bed and she knows there is rifle underneath and that she had better do what he says. ” (focus group participant)

In our Study, 79% of Households with Firearms had Pets/Farm Animals Of these… • 54% said partner had threatened to harm the animal(s) • Of those, 41% said partner definitely harmed or killed their pet and 50% believed partner had harmed their pet • 64% of the households that had pets and firearms were concerned firearms may have been used to kill a pet • 31% said firearms were used or they had reason to believe they were used • 39% of households with pets and firearms said the children were aware of the abuse (compared to 24% in homes without firearms)

Link Between Animal Abuse & Family Violence NOT Widely Understood “She loved her pets, like, she had a house cat and a dog…he would always threaten to kill [her dog] if she left. And, he would describe the dog’s death very violently, and, you know, it was really graphic. I remember thinking, “Oh my word, like, that is astounding”. I never thought of animals as being as part of that situation of abuse. ” (Service provider in focus group) “Even the ones that understand about women and kids are rarely concerned about pets. They say “oh it’s an animal. It’s ok, it will be fine” Because … nobody wants to hurt an animal - no normal person would want to hurt an animal - so you don’t think anyone else would. ” (abused woman)

High Tolerance of Firearms Misuse People tend to minimize risks Interviews and focus groups - perception of firearms not linked to risk…. • Long proud tradition of hunting - most people who have firearms ARE law abiding and do not abuse their families • Prevalence and legitimate use fosters perception that firearms are ONLY used for peaceful purposes – not seen as weapons “…the lack of attention to the safety of abused women is partly explained by the high tolerance to firearms abuse in rural homes – even by professionals. ” (Focus group participant) • Many rural folk hold cavalier attitudes to gun storage, etc. • Abused women fear police might not remove or find ALL the guns - and family or friends would just loan another one

Yet Concern for Pets Affects Decision to Seek Help • 27% of the women in the study delayed getting help because of concern for animal’s safety • 44% of women said that threats to harm pets affected their help seeking behaviour • 60% said it affected them where partner actually harmed or killed animal

Women told us…. Interviews and focus groups put a face to the concerns/fears: “I knew I was in for it that evening when I got home…but I had to go because I had to feed the horses. ” (Abused woman) “…my dog was like my third child and I was not about to leave without him. ” (Abused woman)

Reluctance to Seek Help Greater in Presence of Firearms • In households with firearms – 53% of the women said their decision to leave was affected when they believed partner harmed pet – 69% affected when they had concerns that firearms might be used – 40% were affected when firearms had been used or believed to be used

Other Reasons Abused Women Do Not Take Pets and Leave • • Partner previously harmed or killed a pet No place to take pets and/or no transportation Police won’t always take pets No money to put pet in kennel Abuse is happening to large animal Fear of retaliation or harm to self or children Pleas of children to stay for sake of the pets

The Role of Community – A Need for Awareness From a community perspective we heard “Everybody pretty well knows in a small rural area who’s getting beaten, where you’re going to be on a Saturday night, everybody knows that. But still, that sense of pride is there. They won’t reach out for help…” (Focus group participant) From the abused woman’s perspective we heard “They could see me with bruises…they seen him take me and pin me against [the wall] and they seen him take me and literally choke me so the next day his hand print was bruised in my neck, and they still refused to help me…they said, “You’re a big girl. If you want out, you leave. ” (Abused woman)

Recommendations Relating to Family Violence and Animal Abuse Specific suggestions about addressing the link between family violence and abuse of pets and farm animals include: • Create a public awareness education campaign about pet abuse and the risks associated with family violence and firearms • Ensure that questions about pet-farm animal abuse are included on in-take forms and risk assessments • Develop a safe haven program for pets and farm animals • Provide stronger legal protections for the animals of victims of family violence • Link animal abuse to other forms of abuse such as child abuse and senior abuse and firearms victimization

Translating Research into Action Safer Families…Safer Communities • Worked with a rural community – Miramichi - to brainstorm the findings and decide how best to share them with the public • Selected FIVE Themes and a campaign name – Safer Families…Safer Communities • Extracted numerous unique personal and community safety messages from the research • Created draft education products which were reviewed, revised, rewritten, translated, and reviewed again – available on web: www. legal-info-legale. nb. ca

Safer Families…Safer Communities Theme #3 Know the Link Between the Abuse of People and the Abuse of Animals • When someone hurts an animal, they may be hurting others in their family too. Pets and farm animals are used as part of the cycle of violence • Victims may delay getting help for fear their partner will harm or kill their pet – and children ARE witnessing this abuse • We need interagency awareness and collaboration – police, child welfare, vets & animal welfare, courts • Community can participate in safe shelter programs for the animals of victims of abuse

Safer Families…Safer Communities Action Outcome: Formed a provincial committee that has set up a program to shelter the animals of abused women. Pets in Transition: Providing Shelter for Animals Affected By Family Violence

Action Research – Helping Shape the Dialogue Presentations: • NB Advisory Council on the Status of Women (4 “lunch & learn” sessions) • Women’s Issues Branch • Domestic Violence Court – Specialized Team (Moncton New Brunswick) • Many invited academic national and international presentations • Canadian Federation of University Women • Atlantic Crime Prevention and Safer Communities

Helping Shape the Dialogue – con’t • New Brunswick Chiefs of Police Annual Meeting • Provincial Partners in Action – annual meeting of family violence networks across NB • Rotary Club – Miramichi • National Domestic Homicide Prevention Conference – London, Ontario • Public Legal Education Association of Canada – St John’s, NL

Encouraging Reflection and Change • Research promoted in RCMP Gazette, Latham Foundation, American Humane Association, NB Vets and NB Nurses Association Newsletters • Changes in policy resulting from research and public awareness campaign …police policies re firearm removal and taking pets to safety • • Chief Firearms Office in NB will now ask questions about pets during an investigation

For Further Information Contact: Dr. Deborah Doherty deborah. doherty@gnb. ca or Dr Jennie Hornosty hornosty@unb. ca