There is a relationship between kindness towards animals and kindness towards people. Humane education programs can help children learn the virtue of kindness.
“Children trained to extend justice, kindness and mercy to animals become more just, kind and considerate in their intercourse with each other. Character training along these lines will result in men and women of broader sympathies, more humane, more law abiding – in every respect more valuable citizens.” That quote comes from Jeanne R. Nichols, the chairperson of the National PTA Humane Education Committee. It was written in the year 1924. In the early part of the century, there was a big push for humane education.
Animal Abuse Linked to Criminal Behavior
In our more recent history, there have been some scientific studies which have shown a link between cruelty towards animals and cruelty towards human beings. Sociologist Clifton P. Flynn has explored the link between family violence and animal abuse. In a survey of college students, he found that those who abused animals were three times more likely to approve of a husband slapping a wife than those who had never committed animal cruelty. ("Animal Abuse in Childhood and Later Support for Interpersonal Violence in Families,"Society and Animals, Volume 7, Number 2, 1999)
Case studies of mass murderers and serial killers also show that these people started by killing animals as children. Serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy were known to abuse animals as children. Many police officers are trained to watch for abuse of animals as an indicator of criminal activity.
There are also recent studies which show that caring for pets develops compassion in children. The late Aline Kidd, a professor of psychology, studied 550 children and found that pets help children learn about care giving and compassion.("Seeking a Theory of the Human/Companion Animal Bond," Anthrozoos 1.3, Winter, 1987)
Humane education was deemed important enough to be mandated in 20 states, yet it is rare to find humane education as part of the curriculum in American schools. When a humane educator does come into a school it is usually at the request of a humane-inclined teacher or a group of students.
Project Inspires Empathy for Animals
The Empathy Project is an organization that provides free and low cost humane educational presentations that focus on inspiring empathy and provide resources on animal, environmental and cultural issues. The programs are offered to students grade six to college.
“Humane education is about bringing out the best qualities of human beings,” said Sandy DeLisle, of Deerfield, a humane educator affiliated with The Empathy Project, in a phone interview.
One of the programs DeLisle teaches helps students understand the plight of factory farm animals. She shows a video about factory farms and has students stand in a small square, physically restrained for a short amount of time, so that they may get a glimpse of what life is like for a laying hen or veal calf.
“Kids are naturally empathetic. Once they have the information, they want to do something with it, not necessarily become a vegetarian, but improve the conditions under which animals are kept,” says DeLisle.
Education programs of The Empathy Project help students understand how their daily choices affect the environment, other humans and other species. Students are told about alternative choices, such as using a low-flow shower head or buying shade-grown, fair trade coffee. In one program, students discuss advertising messages and are shown the relationship between environmental degradation and consumerism. They learn to see ads more critically and are thus empowered to make more compassionate choices. The Empathy Project also offers programs on caring for companion animals. A program that is geared toward school environmental clubs, helps students learn about environmental activism and environmental careers.
Humane Education at Home
Parents, too, can help their children develop empathy and compassion in their daily lives. DeLisle suggests that parents consider adopting a pet from an animal shelter or pet rescue group. “Help the animals who are already there and without a home, rather than breeding more,” she said.
She also suggests spending time with farm animals so children understand that cows and pigs are more than just livestock; they have personalities and feelings. She recommends parents read Above All Be Kind: Raising Humane Children in Challenging Times, by Zoe Weil.
"Humane Education examines the challenges facing our planet, from human oppression to materialism and ecological degradation. It explores how we might live with compassion and respect for everyone – not just our friends and neighbors, but all people; not just our dogs and cats, but all animals; not just our own homes, but the earth itself, our ultimate home," according to an information booklet from the International Institute for Humane Education.
Humane education classes are eye-opening and can teach students that they can be powerful agents of change, says the Institute.
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