Paige Michelle Barbeau

Art Therapy in the Juvenile System

Ottawa University
 Abstract

Therapy in general is something that seems to be deemed unacceptable in the culture we live in

today. But for others, therapy is the only thing keeping them afloat. An old concept that seems to

be getting more and more attention lately is art therapy. Art therapy seems to be a form of

therapy that does not seem too much like therapy but more of an escape from reality. It allows

patients to escape from their feelings and express them in a positive matter. Art therapy is

beneficial for juveniles because they struggle expressing their feelings. It has become a helpful

way to keep juveniles from repeating the same crimes they were making and to even help them

stay out of adult incarceration. Self-esteem has been a growing issue among young adults. A

reason for this is the increased accessibility to the internet. This allows them to say things to each

other that they would not typically say while hiding behind a computer screen. This is an

extreme factor in the lowering of young adults levels of self-esteem. Self-esteem is also a major

cause of reasons behind young adults acting in a delinquent manner.

 What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is an increasing form of mental health treatment that incorporates the

understanding of human development and psychological theories using art and ones creative

process that helps clients improve their mental health, cognitive abilities and sensory functions.

Art therapy is used to help solve conflict and problems people are coping with while using art

media, and verbal art imagery. Art therapy can also be used to develop new skills, handle

behavior, reduce stress, boost self-esteem and have a better overall view of ones self. Art therapy

is better for people who have trouble speaking out loud about their emotions, art provides the

option that verbal language does not. It is another form of communication that is easily used to

express ones emotions and pain (American Art Therapy Association. 2017).

Art therapists work with a wide range of clients such as, individuals, couples, groups, and

families. Art therapists work in hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, health clinics, wellness

centers, crisis centers, juvenile facilities, and correctional facilities. Art therapy treatments are

different depending on clients and environment (American Art Therapy Association. 2017).

About Juveniles

In the year 2010 there were more than 70,000 juveniles in some type of residential

placement (i.e., committed, detained, diversion) across the U.S, (Murphy, 2013). With this

being said, it is important to remember that there are many reasons and factors to why this

number is so large.

Adolescence have a higher risk of being committed to a juvenile facility due to family

history, substance abuse, and drug abuse. Juveniles are often misguided and forgotten by people

in society, which can lead to isolation and lowered self-esteem. One of the most damaging

element to a juvenile is their self-esteem. Having a higher self-esteem can result in more success,
and greater academic results. Having a higher self-esteem can also result in lower criminal rates,

and adolescence behavior (Murphy, 2013).

Juveniles have even been classified as Americas Forgotten Youth now try to imagine

what this would do to ones self-esteem, which is a cause of adolescences acting out, (Murphy,

2013).

Self-Esteem

Todays teenagers have it so much worse. With the internet, it is almost impossible to

pass through school with no sense of being bullied what so ever. This is a major cause of self-

esteem issues within our nation now-a-days. Teenagers are now able to hide behind their

computers saying mean and awful insults to their peers. Now, they are even able to do so

anonymously, (Paris, 2013).

In this article, this woman says that once she saw a video, online, of two teenage girls.

These teenagers were pretending that they were host on some type of modeling show. They were

ranking their classmates from prettiest to ugliest. This is just one example of the many awful

forms of lowering someones self-esteem that teenagers are so easily doing, (Paris, 2013).

A study was done to test the effects of self-esteem on teenage delinquency. This research

had many different conclusions. It was proved that self-esteem effects the delinquency of

females more than it does males. It was also found that teenagers require self-esteem to be able

to live valuable lives. The highest delinquency levels were found between the ages of 16 and 17

which were also the ages that carried around the highest levels of stress and self-doubt. This

study showed that in order to lower crime rates in teenagers, there needs to be treatment that

increases levels of self-esteem, (Lee, 2014).

 Correlation

The Emanuel Project was a program set up to help juveniles by using art therapy. It was

started in 2011 by Louisa Craft-Jornayvaz. She was a portrait artist from Denver. The Emanuel

Project seeks to help at-risk youths nationwide by providing creative learning materials for the

classroom and art therapy, support and supervisory staff though the proper use of the materials,

displaying inspirational art in central locations and offering motivational and incentive

programs, (Murphy, 2013).

The entire point of having this program is to improve the self-esteem of juveniles in order

to keep them out of adult correction facilities. The Emanuel Project picked 20 young, at-risk,

incarcerated youths and were asked what they thought would keep them out of adult facilities.

They all had something to say about loving themselves, self-esteem, positive self-talk, and just

wanting to be themselves. This is what the Emanuel Project set out to do, (Murphy, 2013).

During this study, 25 murals were painted in eight different states to which a self-esteem

study was done in five states. Before the juveniles painted the murals they were given a survey

that assessed their self-esteem and attitude toward art. Their self-esteem was tested by using the

10-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. And attitudes towards art was tested using, five

assertions: Art has encouraged me to cooperate with others as a team; working on art projects

helps to keep me calm and focused; art has given me confidence to complete my schoolwork;

working on art projects has given me a sense of self-worth; and taking part in art projects has

helped build my confidence and self-esteem, (Murphy, 2013).

The juveniles were exposed to this program for two to four weeks. After the completion

of the mural participants were given the same survey again. The results concluded that, of the 55
adolescents who were a part of painting the mural, their self-esteem increased by 2.5 points. 100

percent of the individuals who were deemed as having a low self-esteem increased from pre-test

to post-test. Using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, those who were classified as normal

increased by 1.6 points. And juveniles who were classified in the lower self-esteem range

showed an increase of 7.4 points, (Murphy, 2013).

Another study was done using 46 delinquents who were committed for serious crimes.

They received both individual and group therapy for exactly 32 months. The study examined

how art therapy addressed the boys' psychological needs via analysis of the boys' self-selected art

productions, (Persons, 2008).

The most occurring themes throughout the males 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, (Persons, 2008).

They found art therapy really helpful. They thought it was helpful for many different

reasons. These included stress relief, relaxation, helps with boredom, pride, self-confidence,

positive recognition, working through problems, for the fun of it, improvement with

concentration, and even being treated better, (Persons, 2008).

Pros and Cons of Art Therapy

Art therapy is very beneficial in reaching into the subconscious of patients. This can be

very difficult for patients to handle sometimes. This can unveil a mass amount of emotions that

patients are not able to deal with just yet. With this being said, the emotional discomfort that
patients might experience is typically temporary and diminishes in time, (Creativity From

Within, 2017).

There are many benefits to art therapy. Art therapy helps develop balance harmony with

joy in life. It helps patients figure out who they are and make changes that help them figure out

how to get to be who they want to be in their future. It helps with patients relationships with

others and helps with healthy interactions. It is very helpful with personal relationships. Art

therapy is used to develop new skills to help cope with depression, anxiety, and stress. It helps

patients accept themselves for who they are and it even helps with their ability to communicate

with others. Art therapy helps with managing emotions. It even helps patients with making major

life adjustments, (Creativity From Within, 2017).

Conclusion

Positive reinforcement is developed through creative arts in adolescence. Outcomes

include, social skills, problem solving, self-worth, and a sense of purpose and identity. Arts-

based programs have been shown to be particularly effective in promoting positive youth

development, (Arts Programs for Juvenile Offenders in Detention and Corrections, 2017). A

study completed found that juveniles often have a delay in cognitive and social skills, so

combining art therapy with communication, creativity, critical thinking, and emotional wellness

can improve their developmental skills. Therapists for juveniles have found that youths have

positive reinforcement from engaging in art programs because they have positive effects on their

self-esteem and self-image. Art therapy not only helps juveniles express their emotions but it

helps them from straying into a negative lifestyle. It is shown that in prisons art therapy reduces

inmate violence and can improve security. Direct contract with the arts and professional artists
provides positive stimulus and personal reinforcement which interrupts the slide intonegative

lifestyles, (Arts Programs for Juvenile Offenders in Detention and Corrections, 2017). Art

therapy helps transform juveniles and reduces the risk of behavior problems and crime. Art

therapy allows juveniles to see who they are and who they can be if they have the right mindset.
 References

American Art Therapy Association. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from

http://arttherapy.org/aata-aboutus/

Arts Programs for Juvenile Offenders in Detention and Corrections. (n.d.). Retrieved

February 16, 2017, from https://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/grantprograms/discr14.htm

Creativity From Within. (n.d.). Pros and Cons of Art Therapy. Retrieved March 09, 2017,

from http://www.creativityfromwithin.co.uk/?q=content%2Fpros-and-cons-art-therapy

Lee, M., & Cho, S. (2014). Effects of Teenager Self-Esteem on Delinquency. Online

Present. doi:10.14257/astl.2014.68.10

Murphy, A., Beaty, J., & Minnick, J. (2013). Improving Self-Esteem Through Art for

Incarcerated Youths. Corrections Today, 75(3), 44-48.

Paris, B. (2013, August 12). Why It's Harder Than Ever for Teens Today: Is Self-Esteem

at an All Time Low? Retrieved March 08, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/britchick-

paris/the-ugly-little-girl_b_3743195.html

Persons, R. W. (2008). Art Therapy With Serious Juvenile Offenders: A

Phenomenological Analysis. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative

Criminology, 53(4), 433-453. doi:10.1177/0306624x08320208