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USU professor aims to help victims of domestic abuse and their pets
By Heather Wardle
While many people might not see the link, Dr. Frank Ascione is sure to point out that there is indeed a direct correlation between animal abuse and domestic violence. Dr. Ascione, professor of psychology here at USU, has focused his attention on the study of domestic violence and abuse, and the prominent role animals play in abusive situations. A direct result of his work, Ascione has written a book entitled "A Safe Haven For Pets." The book sets up guidelines for new programs and shelters, and deals with how to take care of women and and their pets at the same time. According to Ascione a disturbing 20 to 40 percent of women in an abusive situation admitted that worrying about their pets prevented them from seeking help at a shelter. Many of the women, according to Ascione, "feel very alone, and isolated, and get very attached to their pets." They worry that if they leave and go into a shelter, their pets, will not be there when they come back According to Ascione, many of the offenders use animal abuse as a means of control. Ascione noted a specific case in Rhode Island where a woman had checked into a shelter, a victim of spousal abuse. Her husband somehow managed to send an audio tape to her, on which he recorded her dog being tortured. The woman immediately packed her bags and was never seen at the shelter again. It seemed that very incident was enough to make her go back to what Ascione called, "a dangerous situation." Ascione hopes that, through his efforts, women will feel more obliged to come in, and not have to worry about pets or other problems. Thanks to a grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, as well as some added support from USU's vice president of research, Peter Gariety, Ascione was able to conduct a number of interviews from programs all over the country in an effort to collabrate between communities to see what could be done. Ascione stresses the importance of being able to identify certain potential dangers and says that oftentimes animal abuse can be an indicator of great danger. "If a husband can kill a living thing, this is quite different from throwing dishes and smashing plates against the wall," he said. Ascione's book has been sent out to each major coalition in every
state, and Ascione reports that over 14,000 copies have been sent out
on a domestic violence mailing list. When asked if there have been any
success stories, Ascione said he was told by one program leader that,
"they are all success stories, as they are moving to do something more
for battered women and their pets." |
Archived Months:
September
1998 |
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