Beyond Violence

Title: Beyond Violence
Author/Producer: Society & Animals Forum
Suggested Age Range: Ages 11 and up
Item Type: Discussion guide, video
Description: 21-page discussion guide, 13-minute video
Price: $19.95 to $29.95, plus shipping
Suitable for the Following Subjects: Counselor resource, ethics, health, language arts, science, social studies, Spanish
Misc:
(Spanish)
Symbol Key
How to Order: Order online from the Society & Animals Forum.

Beyond Violence clearly explains how our relationships with animals reinforce either our compassion and empathy or our cruelty and indifference. The subject of cross-species empathy and communication are explored using stories about Washoe, the first chimpanzee to use human sign language to communicate with people. While showing beautiful images of people of all ages interacting with animals in a caring, responsible manner, the video explains that we learn many important social lessons from our positive interactions with other species. It also provides evidence of the link between animal abuse and human violence and shows viewers that cruelty to animals leads to violent and antisocial behaviors. The video explains that eight out of 10 men who have battered their wives have also been violent toward children and animals.

The video concludes with a “what you can do” section that gives teachers, parents, and mental health workers helpful advice on how to stop the cycle of violence. After watching the video, students can discuss how they, too, can break the violent cycle.

The discussion guide includes general discussion questions suitable for teachers, mental health professionals, parents, law-enforcement officials, and religious leaders. It also includes a bibliography of additional resources.

Suggested Uses: Educators can simply show the video and use the discussion questions to lead a follow-up classroom discussion. Science teachers can use the video to bring up ethical issues relating to the use of animals in science. Health teachers can use the video to introduce issues relating to domestic or community violence. English teachers can use the video as a jumping off point for writing assignments or reading assignments that use the materials listed in the resources section. The video should also be shown to school counselors and faculty members to underscore the importance of responding to students or faculty members who commit acts of cruelty to animals. For more information about responding to these incidents, click here.