Expanding the Ecological Lens in Child Welfare Practice to Include Other Animals

Bibliographic Data

ID11344403
AuthorsChristina Risley-Curtiss (Arizona State University, corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume40
Issue4
Publication date2013-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0191-5096 • E-ISSN: 0191-5096
PublisherWMU Department of Occupational Therapy (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.15453/0191-5096.3763
OpenAlexW2192036785
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited20

Sixty-nine million U.S. households have companion animals and most of these families consider these animals to be family members. Research shows that children have powerful emotional connections with animals that can be both beneficial and harmful. Considerable research findings report that violence against animals often co-occurs with, indicates, or predicts other forms of family violence, including child abuse. A companion animal may be an abused child's confidante, and separation from that animal through foster care may be a source of stress and grief for that child. Child welfare agencies are slowly acknowledging some animal-human relationships, especially in regard to animal abuse and family violence, yet professional acceptance of the significance of animals in the lives of children is often piecemeal. Being a meaningful part of the family system means that including questions and observations about the past and current presence ofanimals in child welfare households, the meaning those animals have for each family member, their care, and whether any of them have been hurt or killed is important to effective family-centered practice. This article discusses how taking a more ecological approach by consciously integrating animal-human relationships into child welfare practice can help caseworkers make a more accurate and useful assessment of child safety and well-being

Animal welfare · Child abuse · Criminology · Developmental psychology · Domestic violence · Environmental health · Foster care · Grief · Meaning (existential · Poison control · Political science · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Suicide prevention · Welfare · Geographies of human-animal interactions · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Law · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation · Ecology

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Open DOIOpen Access