Vegan Criminology

Criminology has paid limited attention to violence against animals. While there are several notable publications, and a few conference presentations each year, the theoretical foundation is limited and the boundaries of criminological study regarding animals are poorly defined. Animal abuse is seldom included in criminology textbooks and a search for related syllabi yields few results aside from research ethics courses. While animal abuse is considered by criminology when trying to understand the progression of violence toward humans, limited attention has been given to topics such as corporate violence toward animals, animals as property, the environmental harms of large-scale meat production, and the criminalization of advocacy on behalf of animals. This site (currently under construction) represents an effort to organize around the concept of “vegan criminology.” Vegan criminology includes a focus on animal rights and the rights of those attempting to protect animals, including efforts to document and prevent environmental threats, using animals as entertainment, sport, and experimentation, the role of patriarchy, the legal status of animals, and the widespread acceptance of treating animals as food.