Cruelty to Animals in Turkish Children: Connections with Aggression and Empathy

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between cruelty to animals, aggression, and empathy in primary school children. The relationship between pet ownership, love for animals in the family, and engaging in cruelty to animals was also investigated. The sample consisted of 1,248 students (633 girls, 615 boys) between the ages of 8 and 11 years (M = 9.59, SD = 0.63) and 41 classroom teachers living in Istanbul, Turkey. Students completed the Turkish version of the Children and Animals Inventory (CAI-TR) and the Empathy Index for Children and Adolescents (ES), and their classroom teachers completed the Teacher Assessment of Social Behavior (TASB). Results indicated that cruelty to animals was significantly correlated with aggression (r = 0.41, p < 0.01) and empathy (r = -0.35, p < 0.01). Children whose parents did not like animals were more cruel to animals (p < 0.001), and those who did not own a pet also exhibited higher levels of animal cruelty (p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that gender, owning a pet, love for animals in the family, aggression, and empathy accounted for 25% of the total variance (R-2 = 0.253) in cruelty to animals. Limitations and directions for further research are discussed.