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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Wyoming

State Laws

Non-codified Policy

“The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) believes in the importance of supporting student and adult mental and emotional well-being as a key driver for academic and career success. To support this the WDE, in partnership with many stakeholders throughout Wyoming, has built THRIVE. The THRIVE (Think through decisions, Respect for others, Inspire action, Value relationships, Elevate Oneself) framework will support districts, schools, and out-of-school providers with building systems and student competencies that support their mental and emotional well-being. The framework is designed to support building student and adult competencies (knowledge, skills, and mindsets) and the conditions for success that adults create to support competencies associated with mental and emotional well-being.” (Source)

Reported Animal Abuse Cases

May 2020/Cheyenne, Wyoming

TheCheyennePost.com reported that four children, ages 8 to 13, had allegedly thrown a neighbor’s cat from a third-floor balcony.