In cases of violence against animals where the definition of "violence" is insufficient, it is necessary to draw attention to the reasons for the violence rather than how it happened. Because it is impossible to define the psychological state of individuals who commit violence against animals as healthy. Experts refer to these individuals as antisocial and state that it is important to look at the environment and families they lived in, especially during their childhood.
We recently experienced one of the cruelest examples of violence against animals with a puppy whose feet and tail were amputated. We constantly see people throwing cats, killing ants and doing all kinds of violence to animals, and experts say that this is on the rise not only in Turkey but all over the world. In this regard, the forensic psychology unit of the New York State University developed the "Moral Disobedience Scale" to measure the ability of psychiatry to recognize evil as a criminological study and to find answers to many questions such as "Why do people commit violence in this way? Why has the rate of violence increased in schools in recent years?".
What kind of disturbance does this situation represent to living beings that cannot defend themselves and cannot respond? How accurate is it to read this as a simple act of violence?
The American sociologist Robert Merton attributes such anomalies to a rupture between "cultural norms and goals and the social structure that forces individuals to behave in accordance and conformity with them". According to Merton, some people may be more susceptible than others to the tensions arising from the discrepancies between their personality structure and their unfavorable position in society and the cultural goals and institutionalized means, which may make them more susceptible and vulnerable to deviation. This social phenomenon leads these individuals to commit crimes. The elimination of social restraint mechanisms such as shame, sin, morality and ethics through so-called 'neighborhood pressure' legitimizes such acts of violence.
THESE PEOPLE ARE ANTI-SOCIAL
Experts say that violence is inversely proportional to the level of human development. While the rate of violence should be decreasing, it is increasing. The most important characteristic of people who are prone to violence is that they are antisocial. People who do not conform to the social norms of the society have anti-social personality traits and cruelty to animals can be normalized for them. Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan argues that the root of this state of mind is to move away from nature. Prof. Tarhan says, "With the industrial revolution, man dominated nature and a mentality emerged that destroyed animals as well as the environment, saying 'we are superior beings'. With this, man developed an anti-green movement and saw in himself the right to cut down plants and destroy nature. As a result of the modern arrogance and self-confidence that emerged from this situation, man began to destroy nature."
ALL OF THIS IS VIOLENCE
Violence against animals is called physical violence in international literature. There is no specific definition of violence against nature or animals, but experts say that the definition of physical violence makes no difference for animals or humans. There is physical, emotional and psychological violence and sexual abuse against animals in the world we live in. Experts point to childhood traumas as the cause of all these. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan says that if a child is prone to things like starting fires and torturing animals, these are examples of criminal tendencies, lack of empathy and not regretting after the mistake.
COMPASSION SHOULD BE LEARNED IN THE FAMILY
How do children learn violence?
According to research, children learn violence through modeling. The primary examples that teach children violence are live models. Television and cartoons are secondary. If adults do not normalize violence against animals, children do not model it. In order to prevent the development of antisocial personality in children, empathy should be taught at a young age. If there is a lack of empathy, one of the first signs of this is cruelty to nature. If a child has a tendency to be violent towards animals, he/she will also be violent towards those around him/her when he/she grows up. Parents should teach their children compassion and empathy. Empathy is feeling responsible for a thirsty animal's lack of water. This feeling is not inborn, it is taught.
MODERNISM HAS INCREASED VIOLENCE
As Turkish society, we do not approve of violence. In our past, we are a society that established foundations and built birdhouses for storks with broken wings, and this culture still continues. We come from such a culture and the new generation is growing up without knowing these things. But the current generation is growing up under the pressure of modern education that teaches them to be selfish. With the effect of this, a person may lack sensitivity towards animals. The disease of modernism reduces empathy and sensitivity towards animals. Therefore, this is not only a disease of Turkish society. It is a result of modernism and the selfishness that comes with individualization.
PEOPLE HAVE ACCUMULATED ANGER
We see that there are some social incentives for violence against animals. For example, people who are influenced by satanic culture are devil worshippers. There is the concept of taking pleasure in torment. There we see most often the decapitation of cats and torturing them. This is encouraged as a religious ritual. If you say kill a dog, many people will not do it, but if you say this dog is rabid, many people will harm that dog. Increasing unhappiness in people is also a reason. People have accumulated anger and they find the most harmless expression in violence against animals.
IT'S AN EGO GRATIFICATION
What causes violence against animals?
In such a situation, a person wants to satisfy his sense of control or his idea of power. He achieves this satisfaction by using violence against weak people, animals and nature. This usually occurs when the power within cannot be appeased or reciprocated. We call this ego satisfaction. When a person is able to satisfy his ego, he is temporarily relieved. He gets pleasure when he watches his torment on camera. If the mother and father participate in such behavior, the child sees it as approved behavior.