Many infamous serial killers harmed animals when they were children, including Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Gary Ridgeway, John Wayne Gacy, and the Boston Strangler. It’s long been a popularly held belief that children who are abusive toward animals are serial killers in the making. But is this true?
While there is a correlation between kids who purposely harm animals and future violence, it’s a complicated one. If there’s one thing that’s certain, though, it’s that this behavior indicates there’s a serious problem that needs attention.
