THE links between animal cruelty, child abuse and violent adults will be examined at a landmark conference.

Social workers and psychologists will be told to look at pets when assessing families, while vets will be encouraged to consider potential harm in households presenting animals with recurrent or unusual injuries.

Put together by the Scottish SPCA and Edinburgh University, the September event will also draw on US expertise.

Psychology professor Jo Williams said: “This landmark conference will be the first in the UK to focus on animal cruelty and its links to adverse childhood experiences and human violence.

“By bringing a range of professionals together, and highlighting cruelty as a cross-profession societal issue, we will focus on what we can all do within our professions to promote both animal welfare and young people’s health, safety and development.”

Police, teachers and health workers are amongst those set to attend the Edinburgh conference, which will call for new approach to animals and abuse across both public and private sectors.

Organisers hope greater knowledge and more partnership working will help “protect the health and safety of all animals and young people”.

A new expert guide to help practitioners is expected from the Scottish SPCA and Edinburgh University next year.

Gilly Mendes Ferreira, head of education and policy at the Scottish SPCA, told The National: “Often vets will see a dog with an injured leg and hear things like ‘the dog fell off the table’. Dogs don’t tend to fall off tables and the injuries won’t match up with the story.

“Sometimes animals will come in three times over four months. What is happening in that household to mean that animal sustains that degree of injury?

“What has become really clear is the lack of understanding of even asking questions. If you are a psychologist or a social worker, animals won’t appear on your screening questions, even though we know animal cruelty is a potential precursor to violent crime and children can harm animals because they themselves are being harmed or are witnessing things in the household.”