Sadism (OED): Enthusiasm for inflicting, suffering, or humiliation on other others; spec. a psychological disorder characterized by sexual fantasies, urges, or behavior involving the subjection of another person to pain, humiliation, bondage, etc.
The Millgram experiment and the Stanford prison experiment results are uncannily similar. The details that shocked me the most were that the participants were white-middle class males, and that the results were so shockingly consistent. Dr. Blass “performed a meta-analysis on the results of repeated performances of the experiment… and found that the percentage of participants who are prepared to inflict fatal voltages remains remarkably constant, 61-66 percent, regardless of time or place (607).” Most people who read this experiment probably think that there are just a few “bad apples,” and that they would naturally be repulsed and not conditionally sadistic. These experiments prove that the problem is in the system, and not based on the individual psychological evaluative degrees. It is unbelievable how absorbed the guards, and prisoners alike, with their roles.
The reasons for the quick impact on the participants change in behavior are attributed to their lack of responsibility for the consequences. Once they were assured that their actions wouldn’t be accounted for, their humanity went out the window, and evil desires smoothly took the place of once sympathetic, good, humans. The level of stress paired with the inescapable humiliation of the prisoners undoubtedly affected their behaviors, and fueled their desire to revolt and/or flee. After being stripped of privacy, power, and choice, the prisoners were rendered helpless, thus evoking fight or flight innate tendencies. The guards, on the other hand, inflicted damages surpassing the experimentation’s purpose. The guards conditioned themselves to be sadistic, even without being asked. Cruelty seemed to increase incrementally hour by hour, day by day, as the guards and participants lost individual identities, and group mentality took over. This made it easier for the guards to hide behind the experiment as an excuse for their inhumane, disgusting behavior, and this happens all the time...“The link between animal abuse and interpersonal violence is becoming so well established that many U.S. communities now cross-train social-service and animal-control agencies in how to recognize signs of animal abuse as possible indicators of other abusive behaviors (Siebert, 619).” There is also a “mounting body of evidence about the link between such acts and serious crimes of more narrowly human concern, including illegal firearms possession, drug trafficking, gambling, spousal and child abuse, rape and homicide (Siebert, 618).” Domestic violence as well as serial and mass criminal violence often involves animals. For families suffering with domestic violence or abuse, the use or threat of abuse against companion animals is often used for leverage by the controlling/violent member of the family to keep others in line or silent. The violence may be in the form of spousal abuse, child abuse (both physical and sexual), or elder abuse. The statistics are chilling. Those who commit serial or mass criminal violence often use animals as "rehearsal" tools in their adolescence to work themselves up to the eventual abuse or killing of people. This link was first established 250 years ago, and it doesn’t seem to be changing. That means children who torture animals should be dealt with quickly, and it should be taken seriously. The child may be acting out because he/she is being abused or may be building up to something worse.
“The abuse of pit bulls [in particular] in dog-fighting activities, has achieved a higher profile after the 2007 arrest of the N.F.L. star Michael Vick for operating an illegal interstate dog-fighting operation in Surry County, Va. But the beleaguered pit bull is merely the most publicized victim of a phenomenon that a growing number of professionals — including police officers, prosecutors, psychologists, social workers, animal-control officers, veterinarians and dogcatchers — are now addressing with a newfound vigor: wanton cruelty toward animals. Before 1990, only six states had felony provisions in their animal-cruelty laws; now 46 do (Siebert, 618).” History is replete with serial killers whose violent tendencies were first directed at animals. Albert DeSalvo (the “Boston Strangler”), who killed 13 women, trapped dogs and cats and shot arrows at them through boxes in his youth. Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer impaled frogs, cats, and dogs’ heads on sticks. Dennis Rader (the BTK killer), who terrorized people in Kansas, wrote in a chronological account of his childhood that he hanged a dog and a cat. During the trial of convicted sniper Lee Boyd Malvo, a psychology professor testified that the teenager, who killed 10 people with a rifle, had “pelted—and probably killed—numerous cats with marbles from a slingshot when he was about 14.
PETA suggestions to avoid further animal cruelty:
Urge your local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, judges, and schools to take cruelty to animals seriously. Those charged with protecting our communities and animals must send a strong message that violence against any feeling creature—human or nonhuman—is unacceptable.
Be aware of signs of neglect or abuse in children and animals, and immediately report suspected crimes to authorities. Take children seriously if they report that animals are being neglected or mistreated. Some children won’t talk about their own suffering but will talk about an animal’s.
Don't ignore even minor acts of cruelty to animals by children. Talk to the child and the child’s parents. If necessary, call a social worker.
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