 A Special Bond
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Oct. 23, 2003 — Research in recent years has suggested that children raised with pets are less likely to become asthmatic, more likely to be kind to other children and more likely to have a healthy sense of self-esteem once they reach their teens.
New research has revealed many more benefits, claiming that interaction with pets can positively influence children's physical and emotional development, even their scholastic achievement.
The findings were presented at an international conference hosted recently by the Society for Companion Animal Studies, in Leicester.
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One of the presenters at the conference was June McNicholas, health psychologist and senior research fellow at the University of Warwick. McNicholas said her studies have shown that exposure to cats and/or dogs in the first year of life reduce subsequent risks of allergic sensitization during childhood.
She also noted that of the 338 children she used for her study, 85 percent viewed their pets as a playmate and over half watched TV or videos with their furry pals.
Another presenter, Sue Dawson, a researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, presented a "detraumatization" project developed in postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Her findings showed that having empathy towards animals helped children who had experienced such trauma.
Parents and scientists seem to agree pets have helped children learn responsibility, develop discipline and handle life situations, such as emergencies, illnesses and even death.
As McNicholas reported, children see animals as peers and identify better with animals than human beings. They may even communicate more freely with their companion animal than with the adults in their lives because the animal eliminates the fear of rejection.
According to Elizabeth Ormerod, chair of the Society for Companion Animal Studies, children tend to form very special attachments to companion animals, making the relationship a vital part of their lives.
"For many years, the valuable role of pets in children's development has been recognized. But recently, the positive health, educational and therapeutic benefits of pets have been scientifically investigated and acknowledged," Ormerod said.
The Society for Companion Animal Studies was formed in 1979 by a group of doctors, social workers and veterinary surgeons from Britain and the United States to promote interest in human-companion animal relationships.
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