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Animal Sexual Assault

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The Palgrave International Handbook of Animal Abuse Studies

Abstract

The chapter begins by discussing academic and legal definitions of animal sexual assault. It argues that, given that in effect animals are wards under our control and that they are unable to offer consent in forms that we can understand, all sexual advances towards animals should be seen as sexual assault. The extent of animal sexual assault is discussed. Studies have found that up to 35 % of adult populations have committed animal sexual assault, although we acknowledge that these findings should be treated cautiously, given their methodological limitations. Next, the literature on why humans engage in sexual activities with animals, including Beirne’s typology with its categories of adolescent sexual experimentation, aggravated cruelty, commercial exploitation and zoophilia, is critically reviewed. The chapter concludes by arguing for the development of reliable empirical research, pro-animal legislation and multi-strategy responses to animal sexual assault.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Up to 8 April 2013, juveniles received reprimands and warnings instead of cautions. On 8 April 2013 these were replaced for juveniles by youth conditional cautions. The cautioned figure shown includes all of the categories of sentence

  2. 2.

    The figures given relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for or found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

  3. 3.

    The number of defendants found guilty in a particular year may exceed the number proceeded against in that year. For example, defendants may be found guilty at the Crown Court in the year following the magistrates’ court proceedings or defendants may be found guilty of a different offence to that originally proceeded against.

  4. 4.

    The figures given relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for or found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Criminology Department, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine, USA

    Piers Beirne

  2. Centre for Criminology, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, United Kingdom

    Jennifer Maher & Harriet Pierpoint

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  1. Piers Beirne
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  2. Jennifer Maher
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  3. Harriet Pierpoint
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Correspondence to Piers Beirne .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Criminology, University of South Wales , Pontypridd, United Kingdom

    Jennifer Maher

  2. Centre for Criminology, University of South Wales , Pontypridd, United Kingdom

    Harriet Pierpoint

  3. Criminology Department, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine, USA

    Piers Beirne

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Beirne, P., Maher, J., Pierpoint, H. (2017). Animal Sexual Assault. In: Maher, J., Pierpoint, H., Beirne, P. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Animal Abuse Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-43183-7_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-43183-7_4

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