I see abuses on the news everyday. Infant/animals/ what type of people
Do these things. Are they born with a missing gene/is it their home environment
Is it a combination of both.

Puzzled

It's hard to say what this is. I'm not sure if there has been enough research done. You often hear how people that abuse animals have grown up to have criminal behaviour towards humans, as in the case as someone like Jeffery Dalmar.

I myself think it's a brain disorder of a sort. There must be a specific gene that deprives a person the lack of compassion for animals, and can also extend to a lack of compassion for human life.

It would be interesting to see how the brain transmits signals, in cases of people that would bring harm to an innocent animal.

I also wonder if it might be a way of acting out from an abusive home environment. This could be a way of transferring pain to another living creature. If they can see themselves that they were not the cause of abuse, perhaps they see that it all right to hurt another life without any remorse.

I think its home environment. Ppl who lack compassion for animals, will most likely be crule to humans or have a disregard for other ppls feelings later in life, but I don't think its genetic, but the upbringing...

i think its home enviroment. Ppl who lack compassion for animals, will most likely be crule to humans or have a disregard for other ppls feelings later in life, but i don't think its genetic, but the upbringing....

I don't entirely disagree. It can, in a few cases, be the way a child is raised. However, there has been research and studies done to indicate that this is more of a brain disorder, where there is a lack of empathy, compassion and control of certain behaviours. This is not to say that the abuser is not responsible for this behaviour by any means, but just that there is a short circuit, so to speak, in brain activity, and some people just don't understand another living creatures pain. I wouldn't be so quick to judge the parents or family.

It also can be a product of an abused child, not necessary in the family home or family member, but that is also a possibility. Their hurt and aggression may be taken out on other people or animals. They would be doing this as a way to try and take their control back, even though this would and is the wrong way to deal with it. The child or animal abuser doesn't get the resources to deal with the behaviour, so turns to violence as an outlet.

It is a very interesting question!

I work with kids and have read some studies dealing with empathy... and apperantly some show that empathy isn't something you are born with, its developed... which can explain why child abuse can cause a lack of empathy.

(I work with kids who have autism though, they lack empathy completely!)

I wouldn't be so quick to judge the parents or family.

A very good point! I'm sorry for the two posts, I hit the post button to prematurly... I definitely agree that you shouldn't judge the family to quickly. I see that in the kids I work with, that they are born without empathy. But people with autism in general have a hard time dealing with and understanding socail contexts; like playing, roleplaying, games... as if they aren't able to decode the social codex that surrounds us. And they have very little understanding for you as a person with thoughts and will, e.g. we have a couple of kids at work who are physicly challenging. And they might hit you and afterwards they say "auch??" so they understand that you have a reaction to the hit you just took, but they don't really know that the word "auch" implies pain of some sort...

It is interesting. I do have a few friends with children (now grown) that have been able to develop the part of their brain, with medication and therapy, that do develop their sense of empathy, and pain, and are now very caring individuals. I'm sure all cases are different however, and this may not be always the case.

I've also heard and seen, that the majority of people that hurt animals are male. So, I wonder sometimes why it is predominently a male condition or behaviour.

One of my best friends sweet little 3 yr. old girl was just recently diagnosed with autism. They were crushed. I have been doing a little bit of research myself to try and help them out, and I've found I really like the methods that Jenny McCarthy has used. It's too early with their little girl to see what is and is not working, but I sure hope they can get the best help for her that they can.

Yeah I've heard that as well, that male are over representated in that area. I wonder why that is... maybe it has something to do with adaptive genes and maybe it travels mostly in the why part of their genetic makeup? (my train of thought with the adaptive gene is that whole; early homosapian men had to be aggressive and strong by nature to be able to perform their duties, some shed this ability to s certain extent because they adapt to modern society or something like that. I took a psychology class a couple of years ago and we had about adaptive genes, can't quite remember the whole ordeal though)

My heart goes out to your friends. Autism can be a very crushing diagnosis to deal with, especially seeing as the autism specturm is so wide and can develop in so many different ways. Also there is that whole aspective of other deseases. Sadly people who are born with autism or who develop it also have other deseases... brain damage, celebra paralysis, epelepsi, add/adhd, astma, ekseemia... touretts...

Yeah the dite that Jenny McCarty used for her kid works for some. I know the parents of a kid with autism who tried a couple of years ago and sadly it didn't improve his condition.
I must say that I really admire the parents of the kids I work with!! I really really do

They have so much on their plate often and they are able to deal with it.

It must be absolutely crushing to carry a baby inside of you and to wait for him/her for 9 months and then they turn out to have autism and most, if not all, of the thoughts, dreams and ideas surrounding that child is whiped out or killed. Its very heart breaking

It is very kind of you to research this for them! If I come across some good books about autism or asbergers I will defenatly tell you about it. There is a book called : dear gabrielle I think that's the english title, which is about dealing with the fact that you are the parent of a kid with austim.

Sorry this post is lengthy, hehe but I am very interested in this subject and my job! I really admire these kids as well, they are all really really different, but they are all wonderful in their own way! :)

Thank you so much for offering to give me any helpful advice on autism if you come across it. Any new info is always helpful. You are welcome to PM me if you come across anything.

My friends are very overwhelmed because this was just a recent diagnosis. They are being proactive though, and are not going to give up on her. They held an Autism walk, and they formed "Team Lily", and we raised money that surpassed their goal, for autism research. They are hopeful that there will be more treatments, and maybe even a cure somewhere down the line. But for now, they have to deal with the resources they have. So any more info is greatly appreciated. :)

I appologise to the OP if we got a little off topic here. I think all of it may be a little related in some cases however.

Hehe yeah it is a tiny OT, but kind of relevant seeing as the autism talk started with autism and empathy. :)

I will definitely PM you if I come across any litt in english. I live in scandianvia, so some of the books people at my job read are not always in english.

That's good, that they have taken a proactive approach. I don't know how the school system works where they live, i.e. with kids who have autism, but I'm very happy with the system in the school where I work. We work individually with each child to develop skills etc. that they will need later in life, and that they can handle/manage.

Yeah it is really strange how the brain works, and genetics. I'm totally fascinated by it! :)