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could use firesetting or cruelty to animals as an outlet for their frustration. Bedwetting into the tween and teen years has also been used as an indicator of possible childhood sexual abuse. Enuresis, firesetting, and cruelty to animals are more likely indicators of sustained physical or emotional abuse toward the child, or underlying mental illness that will, in turn, cause those behaviors. One researcher notes that enuresis is an "unconscious, involuntary, and nonviolent act and therefore linking it to violent crime is more problematic than doing so with animal cruelty or firesetting."
128:. These repetitive episodes of humiliation can lead to feelings of frustration and anger, which need to somehow be released in order to return to a normal state of self-worth. However, the triad combination has been questioned in this regard also, and a review has suggested that this behavior is just one that can occur in the context of childhood antisocial behavior and is not necessarily predictive of later violence.
144:
could not retaliate toward those who caused them humiliation, so they chose animals because they were viewed as weak and vulnerable. Future victim selection is already in the process at a young age. Studies have found that those who engaged in childhood acts of cruelty to animals used the same method
156:
In a 2004 study, which considered not one-off events but patterns of repeat violence, Tallichet and
Hensley found a link between repeated animal cruelty and violence against humans. They examined prisoners in maximum or medium security prisons. However, overgeneralizing possible links between animal
139:
special agent Alan
Brantly believed that some offenders kill animals as a rehearsal for killing human victims. Cruelty to animals is mainly used to vent frustration and anger the same way firesetting is. Extensive amounts of humiliation were also found in the childhoods of children who engaged in
171:
Some authors continue to speculate that enuresis may be related to firesetting and animal cruelty. One argument is that because persistent bed-wetting beyond the age of five can be humiliating for a child, especially if they are belittled by a parental figure or other adult as a result, the child
108:
According to
Douglas and his fellow researchers, while the triad behaviors are not causal when examining a relationship with later predatory behavior, they are nonetheless predictive of an increased likelihood of the future emergence of such violent behavior patterns, and can give professionals a
152:
In a study of 45 male prison inmates who were deemed violent offenders, McClellan (2003) found that 56% admitted to having committed acts of violence against animals. It was also found that children who abused animals were more often the victims of parental abuse than children who did not abuse
148:
Wright and
Hensley (2003) named three recurring themes in their study of five cases of serial murderers: As children, they vented their frustrations because the person causing them anger or humiliation was too powerful to take down; they felt as if they regained some control and power over their
89:
past the age of five, to violent behaviors, particularly homicidal behavior and sexually predatory behavior. However, other studies claim not to have found statistically significant links between the triad and violent offenders.
149:
lives through the torture and killing of the animals; they gained the power and control they desired by causing pain and suffering of a weaker, more vulnerable animal – escalating to humans in the future.
101:
in turn results in "homicidal proneness." The "triad" concept as a particular combination of behaviors linked to violence may not have any particular validity, however, and it has been called an
545:
Tallichet, Suzanne E.; Hensley, Christopher (September 2004). "Exploring the Link between
Recurrent Acts of Childhood and Adolescent Animal Cruelty and Subsequent Violent Crime".
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is "unintentional bed-wetting during sleep, persistent after the age of five." The bed-wetting must continue twice a week for at least three consecutive months.
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Barnard, N. D.; Hogan, A. R. (6 June 1999). "Moving up the chain of abuse pattern shows cruelty to animals is one predictor of violent behavior in adults".
301:
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Singer, Stephen D.; Hensley, Christopher (2004). "Learning theory to childhood and adolescent firesetting: Can it lead to serial murder?".
74:. Although it remains an influential and widely taught hypothesis, subsequent research has generally not validated this line of thinking.
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Further studies have suggested that these behaviors are actually more linked to childhood experience of parental neglect, brutality, or
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violence and human violence can have unwanted consequences such as detracting focus from other possible predictors or causes.
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Patterson-Kane, Emily G.; Piper, Heather (September 2009). "Animal Abuse as a
Sentinel for Human Violence: A Critique".
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58:. Small-scale studies conducted by psychiatrists Daniel Hellman and Nathan Blackman, and then FBI agents
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124:. Extensive periods of humiliation have been found to be present in the childhoods of several adult
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Bennell, Craig; Snook, Brent; Macdonald, Sarah; House, John C.; Taylor, Paul J. (May 2012).
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or fire-setting is theorized to be a less severe or first shot at releasing
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455:"From Animal Cruelty to Serial Murder: Applying the Graduation Hypothesis"
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of killing on their human victims as they did on their animal victims.
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International
Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
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International
Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
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640:"Not the Sum of Its Parts: A Critical Review of the MacDonald Triad"
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424:. No. 36. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology. 2006.
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Ressler, Robert K.; Burgess, Ann W.; Douglas, John E. (1988).
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398:. The American Society of Criminology 62nd Annual Meeting.
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614:. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. p. 101.
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Macdonald, John M. (August 1963). "The threat to kill".
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Parfitt, Charlotte Hannah; Alleyne, Emma (April 2020).
302:"Homicidal Triad: Predictor of Violence or Urban Myth?"
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Wright, Jeremy; Hensley, Christopher (February 2003).
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chance to halt these patterns before they progress.
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The
Macdonald Triad: Persistence of an Urban Legend
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530:: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of September 2024 (
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502:"Animal Cruelty and Violent Behavior"
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246:Sexual Homicide Patterns and Motives
277:Criminal & Behavioral Profiling
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45:. The triad was first proposed by
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371:Encyclopedia of Violence
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279:. SAGE. pp. 21–56.
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547:Criminal Justice Review
422:Bushfire Arson Bulletin
273:"Crime Scene Profiling"
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915:Sexual sadism disorder
875:History of psychopathy
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520:(inactive 2024-09-23).
977:Anti-social behaviour
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610:Hickey, Eric (2010).
518:10.1300/J460v02n04_04
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880:Juvenile delinquency
50:J. M. Macdonald
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23:(also known as the
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132:Cruelty to animals
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