My seven-year-old has just recently begun demonstrating some rather cruel behaviour towards animals. We’ve caught him doing some pretty awful things to neighbourhood dogs and cats. Of course we punished him, but I wonder if there is anything to be more concerned about here.

Cruelty to animals is often a symptom of serious psychological dysfunction to be evaluated by a professional. Children who do such things are not typically just going through a phase. It should be seen as a warning sign of possible emotional problems that could be rather persistent. It also appears to be associated with sexual abuse in childhood.

I don’t want to alarm you or overstate the case, but adults committed to a life of violent crime were often cruel to animals in their childhood. This fact was verified in a recent study by the American Humane Association. I suggest you take your son to a psychologist or other behavioural specialists who can evaluate his mental health. And by all means, do not tolerate unkindness to animals.

This article was written by Focus on the Family Malaysia (www.family.org.my) and the Questions and Answers are extracted from “Complete Family and Marriage Home Reference Guide” by Dr James Dobson with permission.