Love, Violence, and Sexuality in Relationships between Humans and Animals

Title : Love, Violence, and Sexuality in Relationships between Humans and Animals

Author : Andrea Beetz

Published by Shaker Verlag GmbH Aachen

Release DATE : April 2002

ISBN : [1]ISBN 3-8322-0020-7

ISSN : 0945-0971

Price : EUR 49.80

Other : Paperback, 482 pages

This paper can also be retrieved by requesting from the author at ResearchGate

Content : The present work deals with loving, violent and sexual relationships between humans and animals.

The first study examined the relationship between preferences for different species and human personality. Previous research had assumed that individuals particularly choose and love as pets those animal species that best address certain individual needs, such as a need for closeness or dominance, or animal species that have symbolic meaning to the person. Based on the results of this study, it was confirmed that people prefer animals whose characteristics match their own personality and their needs and motives.

The subject of the second study focused on violence against animals. The experiences of male adolescent sex offenders with animals and their relationship to personality, especially personality traits such as psychopathy or sensation seeking, were examined. These young people, who often came from a violent environment, reported on the one hand very close and loving relationships, but on the other hand also showed a high percentage of violence and cruelty towards animals. Overall, an ambivalence in the relationships of these juvenile male sex offenders with animals became evident. The results also confirmed the assumption of a link between animal abuse and interpersonal violence.

The third study attempted to explore an under-explored phenomenon, namely sodomy or zoophilia, the sexual interaction and relationship between humans and animals. In contrast to the prevalent negative opinions about people who have sexual contact with animals, this shows that these people are not necessarily more violent or psychopathic or have a greater need for dominance. Love, too, can apparently play an important role in this sexual relationship between humans and animals. However, it was found that zoophile men, on average, seem to have more interpersonal problems. Overall, some new insights into the diversity of the human-animal relationship and the influence of human personality and motivation in this context were given.