Vulnerable children and pets

Abstract

Human-animal interaction (HAI) is an emerging area of research that enables us to understand the role of animals in children’s health, well-being, and lives in general. Around 70% of UK families own pets and treat them as an integral part of their households. Animals are involved in children’s lives in various ways, including as pets and through animal-assisted interventions for vulnerable children. Child-animal interactions can be both positive and negative. For instance, children can develop strong emotional bonds with their pets and show positive behaviours towards them. However, negative interactions between children and animals can pose risks to both children and animals involved. Thus, it is vital to promote positive interactions between children and animals. This thesis aims to explore the impact of pets and animal-assisted interventions on vulnerable children and their parents. A further aim is to evaluate an intervention designed to promote positive interactions with dogs among vulnerable children.

This PhD thesis consists of 7 chapters. Chapter 1 presents an introduction and literature review of research on children and animals. Chapter 2 reports a systematic review exploring the impact of animal-assisted interventions on the behavioural and psychosocial functioning of children and young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study consists of a systematic review of fourteen studies based on the inclusion criteria. Nine out of fourteen studies reviewed reported improvement in ADHD symptoms following AAI, with improvements in problem behaviours and mental health outcomes (e.g., quality of life, self esteem, and executive functions). Four studies found improvement in the social skills of children. Some emerging findings (e.g., motor performance, brain connectivity/brain function and gait balance) were also observed.

In addition to the systematic review an online survey of parents was conducted to investigate the impact of pets on families with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey data generated three empirical studies investigating different hypotheses (Chapters 3, 4 and 5). The Chapter 3, investigated the impact of pets on children during the COVID-19 pandemic using the standardised measures of the Children’s Treatment of Animals Questionnaire (CATQ), the Pet Attachment Scale-parent report and a newly developed measure of comfort received from pets during COVID-19. Findings based on responses from N= 685(M= 36.69, SD = 8.18) parents about their children indicated that children’s pet attachment and children’s treatment of animals significantly predicted perceived comfort received by children from the pets during COVID-19. Additionally, children’s treatment of animals significantly mediated the link between children’s attachment to pets and comfort received from pets during COVID-19.

Chapter 4 investigated the impact of children’s attachment to pets on the association between children’s behavioural and emotional challenges and children’s treatment of animals. The results were based on responses of 675 (M= 36.65, SD = 8.20) parents about their children, on standardised measures of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) - caregiver version, Pet Attachment Scale - parent report and CATQ. The findings revealed that children’s total attachment to pets and behavioural and affective components of attachment significantly mediated the association between externalising problems (i.e., conduct problems and hyperactivity) and children’s treatment of animals. By contrast, the children’s attachment to pets and behavioural and affective components of attachment did not mediate the association between internalising problems and children’s treatment of animals. However, some mediating effects were observed with subscales of internalising problems (i.e., emotional and peer problems).

Chapter 5 explored the moderating role of parents’ pet ownership, attachment to pets and types of pets on the association between parental stress and the general mental health of parents, assessed using standardised measures of the Parental stress scale, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). This study was based on data from N=685 (M= 36.65, SD = 8.18) pet-owning parents and N=97 (M= 36.06, SD= 7.89). A simple moderation analysis revealed that parents’ attachment to pets did not moderate the link between parental stress and the general mental health of parents.

Chapter 6 was an evaluation of an animal welfare workshop, “Mr T’s Tickles”, on canine welfare for vulnerable children. A 2x2 mixed factorial design was used for the quantitative evaluation of this study. Factor one was the phase of testing (time), a repeated-measure variable (pre-test versus post-test), and factor two was the between-subject variable conditions (intervention versus control group). A sample of 120, 8 to 9-year-old children in five primary school classes (4 intervention classes and one control class) from one school participated in the intervention. For the intervention group, the pre-test was conducted two days before the intervention and the post-test one day after the intervention. For the control group, the pre-and post-tests were conducted with a gap of three days between the pre-and post-test. The control group received the intervention three weeks after data collection. The workshop was designed to improve children’s canine emotion recognition, their belief about canine sentience, their knowledge of canine welfare needs, their attitudes toward dog cruelty, and their attachment to pets. The results showed that children in the intervention groups improved significantly more than the children in the control group in terms of children’s canine emotion recognition from pre-to post-test. There was no change in attitudes that intentional cruelty is acceptable in the intervention group; however, these attitudes worsened in the control group. Qualitative feedback was also gathered, and content analysis of children’s responses showed that children’s feedback on the intervention was highly positive.

The thesis concludes with a General Discussion (Chapter 7), presenting a synthesis of findings across the studies and highlighting the contributions of this thesis to research on children’s interactions with animals, pet effects on vulnerable children, and how to promote positive interactions between children and animals. Limitations of the research are discussed, along with suggestions for future research directions.