Violence is a complex phenomenon that involves intentionally causing harm, perpetuating such harmful behavior over time and establishing a clear power imbalance between the aggressor and the victim. While often discussed in the context of human interactions, it also extends its reach to encompass violence against animals, shedding light on the intricate dynamics at play.

A key catalyst for acts of violence, including cruelty toward animals, often emerges from childhood trauma. The human mind, in an attempt to cope with the profound emotional distress stemming from traumatic experiences, frequently resorts to a paradoxical response – it seeks solace through reenacting the traumas it aims to escape.

When physical or psychological violence is applied at home during childhood, the child perceives the perpetrator as valuable, strong and dominant, and the victim as weak, damaged and worthless. The victim feels terrible, and the perpetrator feels superior. So there is a weak person and a strong person in the scenario. The child will make a decision: which one they will associate themselves with: the victim or perpetrator? The brain does not think ethically or logically. It thinks how it feels good.

What the child will do to get rid of the feeling created by this event is to either play the role of the perpetrator of violence, that is, to stay on the superior side by identifying with the aggressor, or to continue the same relationship system by attracting people like him. People who have the potential to inflict violence on themselves while remaining on the victim's side. Often they do both. In some relationships, they are victims; in others, they are cruel bullies. A healthy relationship is a mystery to them. Moreover, the hell they know is always better than the heaven they don't know.

It is certain that a person's bullying is usually a repetition of some family cycles. Some repeat their own trauma by practicing the emotional and physical bullying they saw in their childhood on creatures with whom they associate with weakness. While the animal represents the traumatized person in childhood, the one who tortures the animal is the person who was traumatized as a child. The animal is a symbol of the previously abused aggressor.

Regrettably, it is often easier for individuals to engage in bullying behaviors toward defenseless animals. Stray animals and those residing in shelters typically lack a guardian or protector, rendering them particularly vulnerable. In the dynamics of bullying, the aggressor seeks to derive a sense of satisfaction by inflicting upon the victim the very negative emotions that they themselves endured as children.

Secondly, they try to close the unfinished business and suppress the anxiety of angering the object they are dependent on, perhaps being abandoned by it. The human brain works symbolically. As an adult, they try to regulate their suppressed emotions by symbolizing them, projecting them onto other people or animals, and even acting on them.

To give an example, for the person who fears or hates dogs, the real being they hate deeply is someone in their past. Anyone who feels that the dog will hurt or attack them for no real reason has actually seen someone in their childhood physically or emotionally attacked or injured.

Bullies commonly display traits such as a lack of empathy, insensitivity, impulsivity and self-centeredness. They struggle to manage frustration, often showing indifference and engaging in harmful actions like theft without remorse. They tend to make excuses for their behavior and avoid taking responsibility, which can lead to challenges in conforming to social norms.

What could be the individual solution?

1) If an individual recognizes such a tendency within themselves, it can be beneficial to begin by identifying the symbolic representation of the animal they wish to harm from their past experiences. This process can involve imagining what the animal would be like if it were a human, complete with physical attributes.

Questions to consider may include: What gender would this human have? What would their height and weight be? What kind of hair would they have – long, short and what color? What would their skin color be? What facial features would they possess? What about their eye color and other physical traits? Furthermore, what character traits would this person exhibit – malicious, aggressive, empathetic, or grandiose? When pondering these questions, it is essential to explore one's childhood memories to identify who from their past comes to mind.

For instance, let's say the person envisions their sister, Ayşe. In this case, it becomes crucial to differentiate between "sister Ayşe" and the animal, emphasizing that they are distinct entities. Over the course of a few weeks, the aggression toward the animal may gradually subside, but it's possible that negative memories related to Ayşe might resurface during this process.

2) While engaging in the aforementioned self-exploration, it's important to acknowledge that negative memories from one's childhood may resurface and intensify. In such instances, seeking psychological support can be a valuable step toward understanding and addressing these complex emotions.

3) To enhance understanding of others' emotions and cultivate empathy, consider practicing emotion reading with three trusted individuals periodically. Here's an emotion reading exercise: During a conversation with your friend, pay close attention to their facial expressions and verbal cues, then express the emotion you perceive. Seek confirmation from your friend regarding the accuracy of your interpretation. If your assessment aligns with their emotion, that's great. If not, inquire about the actual emotion they are experiencing. This exercise helps train your brain to correlate emotions with nonverbal signals and refine your ability to accurately identify emotions.

4) Consider participating in creative drama or psychodrama experiential groups. Group work, with its focus on relationships and emotions, has a profound impact on enhancing empathy skills through interpersonal connections. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity to process and heal latent traumatic emotions that may have gone unnoticed.

5) Maintaining a list of emotions and keeping a diary can also be beneficial. Choose three emotions each day and pay attention to where and how you experience them. For instance, you might select emotions like disappointment, fear or loneliness. Observe and label these emotions as they arise throughout your daily experiences. At the end of the week, review your diary to identify recurring emotions and reflect on where and how you might have experienced them during your childhood. This practice can aid in uncovering emotional patterns and their origins.

What's the sociological solution?

These individuals encompass both those who have endured severe exposure to violence and those whose social and individual skills, such as conscience and empathy, are either underdeveloped or entirely absent. Consequently, traditional punitive measures like imprisonment or fines prove ineffective as deterrents.

To address this issue at its core, a comprehensive solution entails mandating extensive psychological support in the form of individual and group psychotherapies. This approach aims to foster their capacity to comprehend and empathize with the emotions of others while breaking the recurring cycles of trauma. These therapeutic interventions should complement legal sanctions to effect lasting change.