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Humane Education: A Path to Empathy

Posted March 12, 2009

I recently attended the Association of Professional Humane Educators 2009 National Conference. It is always exciting to be around humane educators, whose work is so vital.

One of the key takeaways from the conference that I would like to share concerns humane education’s overarching purpose. Too often, I think that people associate humane education solely with teaching children to be kind to animals. While this is an important component of humane education, it is too reductive. Humane education is about teaching character.

This distinction is evident in a new American Humane initiative that we unveiled at the conference: our Kids Interacting with Dogs Safely (KIDS)™ Program.

On one level, the KIDS Program was designed to help prevent dog bites. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3.5 million children are bitten by dogs each year. Tragically, the very young are particularly susceptible, yet most dog-bite prevention programs are for older children.

It’s understandable that educators do not wish to cause fear or alarm among the very young. But we felt it would be possible to teach dog-bite prevention to 4- to 7-year-olds without instilling fear. This is why the KIDS Program focuses on generating empathy for dogs rather than overtly discussing biting. Through a DVD, coloring book and a CD of lesson plans and activities, the curriculum fosters safe behavior around dogs without ever portraying dogs in a negative or “scary” way.

On another level, I think the KIDS Program does much more than promote dog-bite prevention. Learning what it means to feel empathy is a lesson that children can apply not only toward dogs, but also toward their families, classmates and all relationships with the natural world. And empathy is nothing less than the foundation upon which a more humane world can be built.

If you work with children -- whether as a parent, teacher, librarian, scout or church group leader, daycare professional, or in another capacity -- please consider exploring the benefits of humane education. The KIDS Program isn’t just for humane educators; it’s for anyone who wishes to positively influence children.

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