Treasuring, trashing or terrorizing: Adult outcomes of childhood socialization about companion animals

Being hit or being given away are subabusive, common behaviors that harm co mpanion animals. Violent childhood socialization increases the risk of adul t abuse of animal companions, but relatively little is known about the orig ins of societally tolerated maltreatment of pets by adults. University stud ents completed surveys about general attitudes toward animals, family socia lizaton, and current relationships with pets. These students generally had positive childhood socialization about pets and reported high levels of cur rent attachment Adults whose parents had given children's companion animals away had a heightened likelihood of giving their own pets away. Mothers' k indness to their children's pets was associated with adults' attachment to animal companions, but attachment was not related to the likelihood of hitt ing current pets. People who score high on a measure of pet abuse potential hit their pets. The pattern of findings related to gender implies that mal es are at somewhat greater risk for having negative socialization experienc es involving pets, for greater pet abuse potential as adults, and for weake r attachments. However, females were equally likely to hit their pets or gi ve them away. The childhood predictors of attitudes about animals, pet abus e potential, hitting pets, giving away pets, and attachment found in this n onclinical, noncriminal sample contribute to our understanding of developme ntal influences upon relationships with companion animals.