Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/36515
Appears in Collections:Faculty of Social Sciences Journal Articles
Peer Review Status: Refereed
Title: Part of the Family: Children’s Experiences with Their Companion Animals in the Context of Domestic Violence and Abuse
Author(s): Callaghan, Jane E M
Fellin, Lisa C
Mavrou, Stavroula
Alexander, Joanne H
Deligianni-Kouimtzi, Vasiliki
Papathanassiou, Maria
Sixsmith, Judith
Contact Email: jane.callaghan@stir.ac.uk
Keywords: Domestic Abuse
Coercive Control
Children, Qualitative Research, Companion Animals
Pets
Issue Date: 15-Nov-2023
Date Deposited: 6-Nov-2024
Citation: Callaghan JEM, Fellin LC, Mavrou S, Alexander JH, Deligianni-Kouimtzi V, Papathanassiou M & Sixsmith J (2023) Part of the Family: Children’s Experiences with Their Companion Animals in the Context of Domestic Violence and Abuse. <i>Journal of Family Violence</i>. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-023-00659-8
Abstract: Purpose Children who experience Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) draw on a range of strategies to manage the complex dynamics of family life. This article explored children’s experiences of their relationships with pets and other animals, considering how children understood these relationships. Methods This qualitative study is based on semi-structured interviews and visual methods-based research with 22 children (aged 9–17), drawn from a larger study on how children cope with DVA. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings Five themes are discussed: Part of the family explores how children positioned animals as relational beings who occupied an important place in their lives; caring for animals considers the reciprocal caring relationship children described; listening and support details how children interacted with animals to allow themselves to feel more heard and supported; in the theme control and abuse, we consider children’s experiences of perpetrators’ use of companion animals as part of a pattern of abuse and control; and in disruption, uncertainty and loss, we discuss how children feel and relate to their animals when leaving situations of domestic abuse. Conclusions The implications of our analysis are considered in relation to providing support for children impacted by domestic abuse, and the importance of ensuring companion animals are provided for in housing policy and planning for domestic abuse survivors.
DOI Link: 10.1007/s10896-023-00659-8
Rights: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Licence URL(s): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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