School-based humane education as a strategy to prevent violence: Review and recommendations

Children who are cruel to animals may have witnessed or experienced family violence and are at risk of engaging in human-directed aggression during adolescence and adulthood. To prevent or interrupt a developmental trajectory leading to aggressive behavior, humane education uses animal-related lessons and activities to teach respect, kindness, and compassion. As part of a violence prevention program, humane education can foster empathy and reduce the likelihood of aggression toward animals and people. Implementation of humane education programs not only prevents violence, but also increases the likelihood of detecting and intervening early in violence that is already occurring in children's home environments.