"This article explores the link between human and animal violence using the Link theory which suggests that an overlap exists between these two forms of violence. The current study stems from legislative requirements in Queensland that limit the capabilities of both child protection agencies and the RSPCA to cross-report suspected cases of abuse. The aim is to identify the degree of support within a general Queensland community sample for a) the implementation of cross-reporting (CR) legislation between child and animal welfare agencies b) the concept of a link between animal and human violence and c) the idea that animal cruelty in the home may be an indicator of family violence. A second aim is to identify if the above variables in addition to gender, income, ownership of a pet, partner status, level of education, occupation, attitudes held toward animals, and levels of empathy influence support for CR. Ninety-three individuals aged 18 years and older from within the general Queensland community were accessed via paper invitation and an e-mail snowballing technique and asked to complete an online questionnaire. Findings revealed that a) the majority of participants supported the implementation of CR legislation b) the empathic concern (EC) component of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) measure predicted AAS scores and c) attitudes toward animals and support for the Link concept may mediate the influence of EC in support for CR. Thus CR protocols and animal cruelty items within assessment need to be considered for Queensland child safety officers. Also, if CR is to be implemented professional training needs to highlight the Link concept and raise awareness of how attitudes may influence reporting."--Abstract.