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Art Therapy With Serious Juvenile OffendersA Phenomenological AnalysisBeaumont Juvenile Correctional Center, Virginia, discoveryroy{at}aol.com Forty-six seriously delinquent, incarcerated boys received individual and group therapy for 32 months. The study examined how art therapy addressed the boys' psychological needs via analysis of the boys' self-selected art productions. In descending order of frequency, the eight most frequent need themes were identity issues; need for security and tranquility; need for freedom, adventure, and fun; need for ideal parental relationships; need for affiliation and affection; erotic and sexual needs; expression of depression, childhood trauma, and other psychological problems; and religious or spiritual needs. The boys' perceptions of what was most helpful about art therapy in descending order were stress relief and relaxation, reduction of boredom, pride and self-confidence, positive recognition, working through frustration, enjoyment and fun, improvement of ability to concentrate, and the way they were treated. Three brief case histories and a description of the art therapy procedures are given. Possible implications for cognitive restructuring are discussed.
Key Words: juvenile delinquents art therapy treatment with serious offenders criminology conduct disorder antisocial experiential therapy sociopaths offender therapy psychotherapy research
This version was published on August
1, 2009 International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Vol. 53, No. 4,
433-453 (2009) |
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