Animal Maltreatment is the first book to provide an overview of animal maltreatment as a legal, clinical, and forensic issue. It offers guidance for mental health and legal professionals involved in the adjudication of animal maltreatment offenses, with a special focus on forensic mental health assessments in such cases.

Foreword by Kirk Heilbrun ; About the Editors ; Contributors ; Introduction ; SECTION I: SOCIAL AND LEGAL CONTEXT FOR ANIMAL MALTREATMENT ; Chapter 1 Animal Maltreatment as a Social Problem ; Gary Patronek ; Chapter 2 Law and Animal Maltreatment ; Sandra R. Sylvester and Alexander G. von Fricken ; Chapter 3 Building a Knowledge Base for Social and Legal Concerns about Animal Maltreatment ; Thomas Grisso ; SECTION II: THEORY AND RESEARCH ON ANIMAL MALTREATMENT ; Chapter 4 Understanding Intentional Animal Maltreatment ; Lacey Levitt ; Chapter 5 The Relation of Animal Maltreatment to General Aggression ; Emily Patterson-Kane ; Chapter 6 Understanding Animal Neglect and Hoarding ; Gary Patronek and Jane Nathanson ; SECTION III: RESPONDING TO ANIMAL MALTREATMENT ; Chapter 7 Understanding the Effects of Maltreatment on Animal Welfare ; Lila Miller and Gary Patronek ; Chapter 8 Social Responses to Animal Maltreatment Offenders: Neglect and Hoarding ; Catherine Ayers, Mary Dozier, and Christiana Bratiotis ; Chapter 9 Social Responses to Animal Maltreatment Offenders: Cruelty and Sexual Abuse ; Lisa Lunghofer ; SECTION IV: FORENSIC EVALUATIONS IN ANIMAL MALTREATMENT CASES ; Chapter 10 Conceptualizing Forensic Animal Maltreatment Evaluations ; Lacey Levitt and Thomas Grisso ; Chapter 11 Methods for Forensic Animal Maltreatment Evaluations ; Philip Tedeschi ; Chapter 12 Practice and Ethics in Forensic Animal Maltreatment Evaluations ; Terry Kukor, Daniel Davis, and Kenneth Weiss ; Index

"Levitt, Patronek, and Grisso have co-edited a groundbreaking, creative, multidisciplinary volume. Chapters address the many facets of animal cruelty and maltreatment. The authors rely on prior research, making this book an outstanding reference for forensic mental health professionals, animal control officers, schools of veterinary medicine, practicing veterinarians, and attorneys. This is a major contribution in an area that has received little prior attention." --Alan M. Goldstein, PhD, ABPP-Forensic, Professor Emeritus, John Jay College of Criminal Justice "Combatting animal cruelty--a serious offense officially recognized by the FBI as a danger to our communities--requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Many states mandate that veterinarians and other agencies report animal crimes, and some now require mental health evaluations and/or counseling for convicted offenders. The editors of this important book, experts in the fields of psychology and veterinary medicine, have compiled an impressive roster of contributors who live and breathe these issues in their daily work--making this a must-read for psychologists, veterinarians, social workers, and prosecutors navigating the unique hurdles that arise in animal cruelty cases." --Lora Dunn, JD, Staff Attorney, Criminal Justice Program, Animal Legal Defense Fund "Levitt, Patronek, and Grisso have created an essential and indispensable resource for anyone who confronts animal maltreatment in their professional work. It's especially timely given the FBI's recent (2015) recognition of the importance of officially tracking different forms of animal maltreatment. The editors and chapter authors are to be commended for addressing critical issues in the fields of animal welfare and human mental health: How do we evaluate incidents of animal maltreatment, and how does forensic science shape our response to perpetrators of animal maltreatment?" --Frank R. Ascione, PhD, Scholar-in-Residence, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver "This book comes at a critical time in legal and animal history when there is growing legal action in cases of animal maltreatment. Written by world-renowned experts, this resource provides key information that has been profoundly lacking in the legal arena. This ground-breaking publication will facilitate the proper and appropriate action in animal cases for all parties involved." --Melinda Merck, DVM, Veterinary Forensics Consulting, LLC

"Levitt, Patronek, and Grisso have co-edited a groundbreaking, creative, multidisciplinary volume. Chapters address the many facets of animal cruelty and maltreatment. The authors rely on prior research, making this book an outstanding reference for forensic mental health professionals, animal control officers, schools of veterinary medicine, practicing veterinarians, and attorneys. This is a major contribution in an area that has received little prior attention." --Alan M. Goldstein, PhD, ABPP-Forensic, Professor Emeritus, John Jay College of Criminal Justice "Combatting animal cruelty--a serious offense officially recognized by the FBI as a danger to our communities--requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Many states mandate that veterinarians and other agencies report animal crimes, and some now require mental health evaluations and/or counseling for convicted offenders. The editors of this important book, experts in the fields of psychology and veterinary medicine, have compiled an impressive roster of contributors who live and breathe these issues in their daily work--making this a must-read for psychologists, veterinarians, social workers, and prosecutors navigating the unique hurdles that arise in animal cruelty cases." --Lora Dunn, JD, Staff Attorney, Criminal Justice Program, Animal Legal Defense Fund "Levitt, Patronek, and Grisso have created an essential and indispensable resource for anyone who confronts animal maltreatment in their professional work. It's especially timely given the FBI's recent (2015) recognition of the importance of officially tracking different forms of animal maltreatment. The editors and chapter authors are to be commended for addressing critical issues in the fields of animal welfare and human mental health: How do we evaluate incidents of animal maltreatment, and how does forensic science shape our response to perpetrators of animal maltreatment?" --Frank R. Ascione, PhD, Scholar-in-Residence, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver "This book comes at a critical time in legal and animal history when there is growing legal action in cases of animal maltreatment. Written by world-renowned experts, this resource provides key information that has been profoundly lacking in the legal arena. This ground-breaking publication will facilitate the proper and appropriate action in animal cases for all parties involved." --Melinda Merck, DVM, Veterinary Forensics Consulting, LLC

Selling point: First book on forensic mental health assessments and interventions for animal maltreatment Selling point: Many states have passed laws mandating evaluation and/or treatment of offenders, but to date, no single resource has addressed this need Selling point: Interdisciplinary authors and content, blending legal, social, psychological, and clinical concerns with an appreciation of how maltreatment affects the animal victims

Lacey Levitt, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist who completed specialized forensic training at the University of Virginia's Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She was one of the key researchers involved in the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit's Criminal Histories of Animal Cruelty Offenders project. Dr. Levitt has authored or co-authored several peer-reviewed publications on issues involving forensic populations. She has worked as a forensic psychologist in a county jail and as a clinical psychologist in the assessment unit of a state prison. Gary Patronek, V.M.D., Ph.D., is a veterinarian and epidemiologist who works as an independent consultant. He also maintains an adjunct faculty appointment at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, where he was previously the Director of the Center for Animals and Public Policy and founded the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium (HARC). Dr. Patronek has authored or co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications. He is recognized as one of the nation's foremost experts on animal hoarding. Thomas Grisso, Ph.D., ABPP (Forensic), a clinical psychologist, is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and engages in consultation nationwide and internationally on forensic assessments and juvenile justice reform. He is nationally recognized as a leader in developing the field of forensic psychology; he pioneered concepts on which several types of forensic evaluations such as competence to stand trial have been developed. His research has focused on the development of models and methods for criminal, civil, and juvenile forensic assessments. Dr. Grisso has authored, co-authored or edited 14 books as well as a 19-volume book series for Oxford University Press on Forensic Mental Health Assessments. He serves as executive director of the American Board of Forensic Psychology.

Selling point: First book on forensic mental health assessments and interventions for animal maltreatment Selling point: Many states have passed laws mandating evaluation and/or treatment of offenders, but to date, no single resource has addressed this need Selling point: Interdisciplinary authors and content, blending legal, social, psychological, and clinical concerns with an appreciation of how maltreatment affects the animal victims