This study analyses the relationship between children, animals and different forms of violence, be it violence directly on the animal, violence on a pet that the child likes as a form of punishment that asserts a position of dominance, or violence exerted on the animal by adults, which can have harmful psychological effects in the child. The author provides historical and juridical references serve to frame the context of violence described. Animals were legally recognized in Italy, in 1993, as sentient beings. However, concepts and terms still remain in legal language that reveal that this recognition has not produced any real change. As an example, the latest Italian regulation of 2004 still classifies the mistreatment of animals under the paragraph for “offenses against the feelings of persons”, which has sparked the protests of animal advocates, who understand that the problem with animal abuse is primarily the suffering of the animals.La relación entre los niños, los animales y la violencia. En el artículo se analiza la relación entre los niños, los animales y la violencia que puede ocurrir en sus diferentes formas, violencia directamente sobre el animal, violencia sobre la mascota que gusta al niño como castigo para hacer valer la posición dominante, o la violencia en el animal por los adultos que puede tener efecto psicológico perjudicial en el niño. Las referencias históricas y jurídicas que aporta la autora, sirven a la perfección para situarnos en el contexto de violencia descrito. En Italia, en 1993, se reconoce a los animales como seres sensibles y sintientes en el lenguaje legal. Sin embargo, perviven en el vocabulario jurídico algunos usos y conceptos que evidencian que dicha modificación no ha producido un cambio real. A modo de ejemplo, la última normativa italiana de 2004 aún clasifica al maltrato animal dentro del apartado "De los delitos contra los sentimientos de las personas", hecho que ha provocado las protestas de los animalistas, que entienden que el problema del que se trata es el sufrimiento de los animales y no de los hombres.This study analyses the relationship between children, animals and different forms of violence, be it violence directly on the animal, violence on a pet that the child likes as a form of punishment that asserts a position of dominance, or violence exerted on the animal by adults, which can have harmful psychological effects in the child. The author provides historical and juridical references serve to frame the context of violence described. Animals were legally recognized in Italy, in 1993, as sentient beings. However, concepts and terms still remain in legal language that reveal that this recognition has not produced any real change. As an example, the latest Italian regulation of 2004 still classifies the mistreatment of animals under the paragraph for “offenses against the feelings of persons”, which has sparked the protests of animal advocates, who understand that the problem with animal abuse is primarily the suffering of the animals.

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona