Rurality, domestic and family violence, and animal cruelty: Practitioner perspectives

Recognition of the concurrence of animal abuse and other forms of domestic and family violence is growing, but this is an under-researched topic, and internationally, there is very little scholarship on the relationship between animal cruelty and domestic and family violence. Greater insight into this issue is urgently needed. Agencies - in particular police - have an opportunity to make contact with victim-survivors they would otherwise not see by regulating animal cruelty. This is notable because, particularly in rural areas, there are extensive barriers that hinder help-seeking and response efforts.

This proposed project has two phases. First, it seeks to interview advocates, practitioners and academics, internationally, in the domestic and family violence and related sectors, rural experts, and animal welfare specialists, to gain insight into rates, manifestations and co-occurrence of animal cruelty and domestic and family violence in rural areas, and challenges in addressing and preventing these harms. If you are an advocate, practitioner or academic and would like to be involved in an interview, please contact DFVanimalcruelty@monash.edu

Secondly, it seeks to conduct a survey of rural police officers and interviews with specialist rural investigators and domestic and family violence coordinators, to determine: what is known about rural domestic and family violence; officer knowledge and insights into forms of animal cruelty and co-occurrence with domestic and family violence; and challenges and confidence in responding to these matters in rural locations. As earlier noted, the researchers were approached and invited by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) to investigate this matter, based on their expertise.