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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Yukon

Provincial Laws

The first step toward protecting students and animals alike in your community is lobbying for their legal right to safety. Contact your local elected officials and demand that humane education be required in all schools. Here’s how.

Reported Animal Abuse Cases

While there may not be any reported cases of animal abuse in a state or province, that doesn’t necessarily mean that acts of violence aren’t being perpetrated. Unfortunately, many animals aren’t protected against cruelty under the law, including those perceived by some to be “nuisances” and those used for food.