Linking Animal Cruelty and Family Violence By Lisa Anne Zilney

as objects; a reflection of their property status in society at large (Beirne 1995). “To define crime as 'social harm' or 'analogous social injury,' for example, seems to deny space ab initio for harms and injuries committed against animals” (Beirne 1995: 24, emphasis in original). Even using a broad conception of crime, one inclusive of social harm or social injury, no space remains for harms perpetrated against animals because the law extends only to humans, with nonhumans still legally considered property (Beirne 1999). “Animals, in other words, remain without standing in a sort of legal and moral wilderness” (p. 129). Despite the current status of animals as property, an increasing number of lawyers are educated in animal law at schools like Harvard, Georgetown, the University of Vermont, and the University of California at Los Angeles. Such attorneys, with strong financial backing from animal welfare organizations, specialize in testing the boundaries of established legal principles and aim to garner some level of rights for nonhumans.

In the 21st century, multiple linkages between humans and nonhumans have slowly increased as a societal concern, however the primarily focus remains on the potential or actual effects on humans. For example, courses on the role of nonhumans in human societies are being taught at numerous colleges and universities. The first Animals and Society course was offered in 1978 at Colorado State University and many universities have followed. The Humane Society of the United States presently documents animal related studies nationwide in a variety of disciplines, although this interest remains largely unexplored in both environmental sociology and criminology. Conferences are organized by academic associations such as the International Society for