In 2015, the Humane Society of the United States estimated that nearly one million animals a year are abused or killed in episodes of domestic violence. They also found that intentional cruelty to animals is strongly correlated with other crimes, including violence against people. This webinar is to introduce professionals to simple yet effective screening methods for how animal abuse and neglect may play a role with the individuals they are working with, along with discussion about managing the emotional effects of this difficult content.
Every day, professionals working with abuse directly address the potential harm to humans that our clients can cause if left untreated or undertreated. However, the field has not focused as extensively on the intersection of an individual’s history of animal abuse and other problematic behaviors. It is possible that this may be due in part to the delicate and difficult nature of the subject matter. Having worked with underserved and marginalized communities, Larry Menzie will discuss his approach to addressing disturbing and/or difficult subject matters.