Humane Education can provide the most effective violence prevention program as the link between cruelty toward animals and violence toward people is well documented:

• Animal Abuse and Human Abuse: Partners in Crime
• Animal Abuse and Youth Violence
• First Strike: The Connection Between Animal Cruelty and Human Violence
• Learning To Be Cruel?: Exploring the Onset and Frequency of Animal Cruelty
• The Violence Connection
• Understanding the Link between violence to people and animals
• What Causes Cruelty?

Studies have shown that the teaching of empathy is crucial and Humane Education is an effective way to do so. The American Humane Association Report One More Thing for Teachers to Do? Why and How Educators Should Develop Student's Empathy and Humanity revealed that:

• Empathy acts as an inhibitor of aggression and violence in people of all ages.
• Empathy motivates children and youth to relieve another’s stress and stop their own aggression.
• Empathy follows a developmental path and we should teach preschoolers and kindergartners to regulate their emotions.
• In early childhood, those who are at low, moderate and high risk for developing disruptive behaviors are equally able to express concern for others in distress, and behave in ways that provide help and comfort.

Because studies have shown how effective Humane Education is in preventing violence, Humane Education should become a key part of every school's curriculum beginning in preschool.

"Until we have the courage to recognize cruelty for what it is...whether its victim is human or animal...we cannot expect things to be much better in this world..." ~ Rachel Carson

©2007-2008 Humane Education Teacher