Abstract
Whereas the majority of previous research conducted on animal abuse has
been in environments where animal abuse is rarely evidenced, the current
study investigated the ramifications of animal abuse in an environment
wherein the national culture creates an ethos of the “social acceptability”
of animal abuse in society. Two survey studies were conducted with
adolescent participants, to investigate the role played by several factors in
the prediction of animal abuse in this age group. In Study 1, with samples from
two different national cultures (101 from Germany and 169 from Romania;
143 boys/135 girls; age 13 to 17), animal abuse was negatively associated
with affective empathy and national culture; more frequent animal abuse was
found in Romania. Affective empathy fully mediated the association between
gender and animal abuse. Specifically, girls were found to be higher in
affective empathy; in turn, participants who were higher in affective empathy
committed less animal abuse. Witnessing animal abuse was also predictive of
engaging in animal abuse, but not independent of national culture. In Study 2,
15-year-old males (n = 21) and females (n = 39) took part, 29 from rural and
31 from urban locations in Romania. Rural adolescents were more likely to
abuse animals and had higher exposure to domestic violence, which (in turn)
was associated with more animal abuse. The implications of these findings in
a society where animal abuse is encouraged and enacted on a national scale
are discussed.
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Eleonora Gullone 
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