Adolescence, digital masses, and violence against animals: dialogues between logotherapy and psychoanalysis

Abstract

This study analyzes violence against domestic animals, particularly when perpetrated by adolescents and reinforced by virtual groups, through Viktor Frankl’s theory of collective neuroses in dialogue with Psychoanalysis. A narrative literature review was conducted, integrating works from Logotherapy, Freudian and Lacanian theory, and contemporary studies on adolescent violence and the human–animal relationship. Historically linked to dehumanization and objectification, cruelty toward animals is discussed in light of the Link Theory and mass psychology. The findings suggest that, in adolescence, group identification, dilution of responsibility, denial, and the death drive may converge toward violent acting out, intensified by digital mass dynamics. Violence is interpreted not as indifference, but as a radical manifestation of affect lacking symbolic mediation. The study highlights the importance of clinical listening and multidisciplinary approaches that transcend purely punitive responses.