Zoosadism

Zoosadism is pleasure derived from cruelty to animals. It is part of the Macdonald triad, a set of three behaviors that are considered a precursor to psychopathic behavior.

General

Zoophiles abhor with a passion zoosadism, as well as any cruelty to animals. In general, they find it particularly unsettling that sexually tainted cruelty to animals can easily find its way into the media and thus form an inaccurate image of "the zoophile".

Violent acts against animals are called zoosadism. A zoosadist tries to achieve physical and, above all, psychological satisfaction through his actions. Animals are usually easier for persons to reach than humans and cannot give him away directly. Zoosadism is cruelty to animals. The only difference is that animal cruelty often also arises from human greed for wealth or willfulness, or the animal is neglected out of disinterest, but the zoosadist acts out of an "inner drive".

Research

Some studies have suggested that individuals who are cruel to animals are more likely to be violent to humans. According to The New York Times:

The FBI has found that a history of cruelty to animals is one of the traits that regularly appear in its computer records of serial rapists and murderers, and the standard diagnostic and treatment manual for psychiatric and emotional disorders lists cruelty to animals as a diagnostic criterion for conduct disorders.

Helen Gavin wrote however in Criminological and Forensic Psychology (2013):

This is not a universal trait, though. Dennis Nilsen had difficulty initiating social contact with people, but loved his faithful companion, Bleep, a mongrel bitch. After his arrest, he was very concerned for her welfare, as she was taken to the police station too.

Alan R. Felthous reported in his paper "Aggression Against Cats, Dogs, and People" (1980):

A survey of psychiatric patients who had repeatedly tortured dogs and cats found all of them had high levels of aggression toward people as well, including one patient who had murdered a boy.

This is a commonly reported finding, and for this reason, cruelty to animals is often considered a warning sign of potential violence towards humans.

Legal status

In the United States, since 2010, it has been a federal offense to create or distribute "obscene" depictions of "living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians ... subjected to serious bodily injury". This statute replaced an overly broad 1999 statute which was found unconstitutional in United States v. Stevens.

In 2019, The United States Congress passed a well known PACT Act (Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act)

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

This Act may be cited as the “Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act” or the “PACT Act”.

Similar to the 2010 law. However, there has been speculation on the actual meaning, whether it was causing death for sexual gratification, or simple bestiality. Such as the case law involving a man who was imprisoned for obscene material and bestiality. (Reference is missing, will need to be researched)

The PACT Act in 2019 was to strengthen the 2010 law that makes the depiction of animal cruelty a crime, but allows the cruelty itself to go unpunished.

Criticism of alleged Link to violence against humans

On the other hand, Piers Beirne, a professor of criminology at the University of Southern Maine, has criticized existing studies for ignoring socially accepted practices of violence against animals, such as animal slaughter and vivisection, that might be linked to violence against humans.

See also

• Bloodsport
• Cruelty to animals

External links

• Four-legged Forensics: What Forensic Nurses Need to Know and Do About Animal Cruelty