Conclusions
Eighteen cases of children who raised concern because of their cruelty to animals were reviewed. The results revealed that they were all boys, usually young (average age 91/2), and of normal intelligence, and that they showed many other aggressive symptoms, such as destructiveness, bullying, fighting, stealing, and fire setting. Etiologic factors ranged from strictly biologic factors (Organic Brain Syndrome) to strictly environmental factors or to a combination of psycho-bio-social factors. The chaotic home with aggressive parental models was the most common factor.
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Tapia, F. Children who are cruel to animals. Child Psych Hum Dev 2, 70–77 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01434639
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01434639