A Common Bond - The National Link Coalition

A Common Bond: Maltreated Children and Animals in the HomeContentsForeword..................................................................................................... vIntroduction................................................................................................ 1PurposeGuiding PrincipleWho Can Use A Common Bond?Chapter 1Children and Pets in Families.................................................................... 3IntroductionThe Common BondWhen the Bond BreaksChapter 2Ask Questions About Care and Treatment of Animals............................ 9Guideline 1 Add animal treatment-related questions to existingscreening, intake, investigation, and risk and safetyassessment procedures.Guideline 2 Ask questions about exposure to animal abuse.Guideline 3 Integrate information on the common bond betweenchildren and animals into the education and trainingprograms of relevant professional groups.Guideline 4 Understand the system of animal cruelty investigations,as well as the relevance of animal cruelty laws, as theyrelate to child welfare goals of child safety andwell-being.Chapter 3Employ Animal-Focused Interventions for Child Victims, ChildrenWho Abuse, and At-Risk Children...........................................................19Guideline 5 Use or adapt available instruments and subscales toidentify animal maltreatment in and outside of thehome when conducting child protection investigationsand assessments.Guideline 6 Use appropriate treatment approaches for children whoabuse animals or who have witnessed animal abuse.Guideline 7 Use animal-assisted therapies in child abuse andneglect prevention and intervention activities.iii