‘Mum cleaned it and I just played with it’: children’s perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in the care of family pets

Janine Claire Muldoon; Joanne M Williams; Alistair Lawrence

doi:10.1177/0907568214524457

‘Mum cleaned it and I just played with it’: children’s perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in the care of family pets

Janine Claire Muldoon, Joanne M Williams, Alistair Lawrence

School of Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Understanding how best to nurture children’s respect for, and care of, other living beings is a concern within education and animal welfare science. Relationships with individual animals are often seen as a ‘bridge’ to caring about the broader environment (of people, animals and ecosystems). However, little is known about children’s actual care of the animals they know best. Focus groups explored 7- to 13-year-olds’ caring activities and sense of responsibility to care for family pets, with findings highlighting the strong influence of parental roles and restrictions, the significance of play as a form of care and reluctance to take responsibility.

Original language	English
Journal	Childhood
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568214524457
Publication status	Published - 2015

Keywords

Animals
Care
Children
Pets
Responsibility

Access to Document

10.1177/0907568214524457

1 Other report
1 Article

Children and their pets: Exploring the relationships between pet ownership, pet attitudes, attachment and empathy
Williams, J., Muldoon, J. & Lawrence, A., 2010, In: Education and Health. 28, 1, p. 12-15
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Promoting a 'Duty of Care' Towards Animals Among Children and Young People: A literature review and findings from initial research to inform the development of interventions.
Muldoon, J. C., Williams, J., Lawrence, A., Lakestani, N. & Currie, C., 2009, Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit (CAHRU). 107 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Other report

Cite this

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title = "{\textquoteleft}Mum cleaned it and I just played with it{\textquoteright}: children{\textquoteright}s perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in the care of family pets",

abstract = "Understanding how best to nurture children{\textquoteright}s respect for, and care of, other living beings is a concern within education and animal welfare science. Relationships with individual animals are often seen as a {\textquoteleft}bridge{\textquoteright} to caring about the broader environment (of people, animals and ecosystems). However, little is known about children{\textquoteright}s actual care of the animals they know best. Focus groups explored 7- to 13-year-olds{\textquoteright} caring activities and sense of responsibility to care for family pets, with findings highlighting the strong influence of parental roles and restrictions, the significance of play as a form of care and reluctance to take responsibility.",

keywords = "Animals, Care, Children, Pets, Responsibility",

author = "Muldoon, {Janine Claire} and Williams, {Joanne M} and Alistair Lawrence",

note = "This work was supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (grant number AW1404). ",

year = "2015",

doi = "10.1177/0907568214524457",

language = "English",

journal = "Childhood",

issn = "0907-5682",

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T1 - ‘Mum cleaned it and I just played with it’

T2 - children’s perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in the care of family pets

AU - Muldoon, Janine Claire

AU - Williams, Joanne M

AU - Lawrence, Alistair

N1 - This work was supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (grant number AW1404).

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Understanding how best to nurture children’s respect for, and care of, other living beings is a concern within education and animal welfare science. Relationships with individual animals are often seen as a ‘bridge’ to caring about the broader environment (of people, animals and ecosystems). However, little is known about children’s actual care of the animals they know best. Focus groups explored 7- to 13-year-olds’ caring activities and sense of responsibility to care for family pets, with findings highlighting the strong influence of parental roles and restrictions, the significance of play as a form of care and reluctance to take responsibility.

AB - Understanding how best to nurture children’s respect for, and care of, other living beings is a concern within education and animal welfare science. Relationships with individual animals are often seen as a ‘bridge’ to caring about the broader environment (of people, animals and ecosystems). However, little is known about children’s actual care of the animals they know best. Focus groups explored 7- to 13-year-olds’ caring activities and sense of responsibility to care for family pets, with findings highlighting the strong influence of parental roles and restrictions, the significance of play as a form of care and reluctance to take responsibility.

KW - Animals

KW - Care

KW - Children

KW - Pets

KW - Responsibility

U2 - 10.1177/0907568214524457

DO - 10.1177/0907568214524457

M3 - Article

SN - 0907-5682

JO - Childhood

JF - Childhood

ER -

‘Mum cleaned it and I just played with it’: children’s perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in the care of family pets

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

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Research output

Children and their pets: Exploring the relationships between pet ownership, pet attitudes, attachment and empathy

Promoting a 'Duty of Care' Towards Animals Among Children and Young People: A literature review and findings from initial research to inform the development of interventions.

Cite this