Epidemic:
Kids Hurting Animals

As mental-health and law-enforcement experts well know, cruelty to animals and violence against humans are inextricably linked. Many educators are aware that serial killers and school shooters—including alleged killers Salvador Ramos, Payton Gendron, Nikolas Cruz, and Ethan Crumbley—tend to have a history of cruelty to animals, and Sandy Hook Promise has cruelty to animals on its “10 Critical Warning Signs of Violence” list.

Forty-three percent of perpetrators of schoolyard massacres commit acts of cruelty to animals first. Educators can help prevent future tragedies by including kindness to animals in the curriculum. Amid the current epidemic of youth violence, PETA urges everyone to report every act of cruelty against animals and calls on authorities to take each animal abuse claim seriously—for the sake of the animal victims and to help prevent future harm. Lives may depend on it.

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North Dakota

State Laws

15.1-07-34.
Youth behavioral health training to teachers, administrators, and ancillary staff. 1. Every two years, each school district may provide a minimum of eight hours of professional development on youth behavioral health to elementary, middle, and high school teachers, and administrators. Each school district may encourage ancillary and support staff to participate in the professional development. Based on the annual needs assessment of the school district, these hours may be designated from the following categories: a. Trauma; b. Social and emotional learning, including resiliency; c. Suicide prevention; d. Bullying; e. Understanding of the prevalence and impact of youth behavioral health wellness on family structure, education, juvenile services, law enforcement, and health care and treatment providers; f. Knowledge of behavioral health symptoms, and risks; g. Awareness of referral sources and evidence-based strategies for appropriate interventions; h. Other evidence-based strategies to reduce risk factors for students; or i. Current or new evidence-based behavior prevention or mitigation techniques. (Source)

Reported Animal Abuse Cases

May 2017/Cando, North Dakota

ValleyNewsLive.com reported that some high school students may have stolen pigs from a nearby barn and killed them. The case was reportedly under investigation, and authorities anticipated that charges would be filed.