Sunday Times 2
Survey: Children raised with pets are more confident, caring
Plenty of children pester their parents for a puppy or kitten.
And now it might be harder for parents to refuse their pleas as a new study claims that young adults who care for an animal have stronger social relationships.
A new study claims that young people who care for an animal have stronger social relationships (AFP)
U.S. scientists also found that looking after a pet might also boost teenagers’ connections to their communities as well.
Animals are used in therapeutic settings where they can have positive effects on children, but little is known about the benefits everyday interactions with animals can bring to young people.
‘Our findings suggest that it may not be whether an animal is present in an individual’s life that is most significant but rather the quality of that relationship,’ said Dr Megan Mueller, a developmental psychologist and research assistant professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Massachusetts, who co-authored the study.
‘The young adults in the study who had strong attachment to pets reported feeling more connected to their communities and relationships,’ she said.
The study also found that high levels of attachment to an animal in late adolescence and young adulthood were positively associated with feeling connected with other people, having empathy and feeling confident.
© Daily Mail, London