Childhood exposure to interpersonal and animal-directed violence: adversity profiles and adult suicidality

TL;DR

Childhood exposure to both interpersonal and animal-directed violence is linked to higher adult suicidality, highlighting the importance of including animal cruelty in trauma assessments.

Contribution

This study is the first to investigate the combined impact of childhood interpersonal and animal-directed violence on adult suicidality.

Findings

Adults exposed to both interpersonal violence and animal cruelty had higher suicidal ideation and greater odds of suicide attempts.

Sexual and gender minority adults and Black participants were more likely to experience both forms of childhood adversity.

Exposure to animal cruelty is a meaningful component of threat-based adversity that should be included in trauma assessments.

Abstract

Exposure to animal-directed violence is an overlooked aspect of childhood adversity that frequently co-occurs with interpersonal violence and may indicate heightened developmental risk. The existence and implications of this co-occurrence for adult suicidality have not been investigated. To address this gap, we compared suicidality across empirically derived adversity profiles that varied in childhood exposure to interpersonal and animal-directed violence.

Data were drawn from 1,072 adults who completed the Pets, Attachment, and Mental Health Study through Prolific. Threat-based adverse childhood experiences were assessed using items from the WHO ACE-IQ, and childhood exposure to animal cruelty was assessed using items adapted from the Pet Treatment Survey. Latent class analyses identified three adversity profiles: Low Adversity, Exposure to Interpersonal Violence Only, and Exposure to Both Interpersonal Violence and Animal Cruelty. Suicidal ideation was measured using the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation and the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale. Lifetime suicide attempt was assessed using a dichotomous item. Psychological distress, social support, and sociodemographic variables were included as covariates. Group differences were examined using the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars method in Mplus.

Adults in the Interpersonal Violence and Animal Cruelty class reported higher intensity of recent suicidal ideation and greater odds of a lifetime suicide attempt compared with the Low Adversity and Interpersonal Violence Only classes. There were no differences between the Low Adversity and Interpersonal Violence Only classes on any suicidality outcome. Relative to heterosexual adults and cisgender men, sexual and gender minority adults were more likely to be represented in the Interpersonal Violence and Animal Cruelty class; similarly, relative to White participants, Black participants were more likely to be represented in this class.

Co-occurring exposure to interpersonal violence and animal-directed violence in childhood is associated with elevated adult suicidality. These results identify animal cruelty exposure as a meaningful component of threat-based adversity and support its inclusion in trauma history interviews and suicide risk assessments.

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