ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the intersection of intimate partner violence (IPV), child maltreatment, and concomitant animal maltreatment. Within the context of households affected by IPV, aggression toward family pets also manifests as a form of animal discipline by IPV perpetrators and other members of the family. E. Collins found that 40 percent of women who reported experiencing IPV and concomitant animal maltreatment indicated their partner engaged in animal-directed aggression that was intended to punish or discipline the animal. Family violence is a serious global health issue, encompassing a range of violent and abusive acts such as IPV and child abuse and neglect. There is emerging evidence that an IPV perpetrator may be more likely to employ animal maltreatment as a coercive tactic of IPV when their partner has a strong bond with the pet and/or feels an emotional attachment to the animal. Nationally representative study, suggests that 24% of women in the United States experience physical aggression by an intimate partner.
