AN ANALYSIS OF SEXUAL - ABUSED TRAUMA IN CHILDREN THROUGH DRAWINGS: A CASE STUDY IN VIETNAM

AN ANALYSIS OF SEXUAL - ABUSED TRAUMA IN CHILDREN THROUGH DRAWINGS: A CASE STUDY IN VIETNAM

Huynh Van Son* sonhv@hcmue.edu.vn Ho Chi Minh City University of Education 280 An Duong Vuong, Ward 4, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Giang Thien Vu vugt@phd.hcmue.edu.vn Ho Chi Minh City University of Education 280 An Duong Vuong, Ward 4, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Le Duy Hung hungld@hcmue.edu.vn Ho Chi Minh City University of Education 280 An Duong Vuong, Ward 4, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Summary: 
Art therapy is an effective approach to counseling and psychotherapy for sexual-abused children. In Vietnam, this issue has not been studied systematically. This study was carried out with the aim of discovering and analysing the sexual-abused trauma of children who are sexual-abused through drawings. The authors used case study methods and drawing analysis techniques on 5 participants who were sexual-abused children between the ages of 9 and 14. The results show that the pictures that children drew reflect their sexual-abused trauma expressions such as: obsessive thoughts, low self-esteem, guilt, depression, dissociation, frustration, feeling confused/ perplexed, and loneliness. This is important practical evidence to promote and develop counseling and psychotherapy for this group of children in Vietnam.
Keywords: 
Sexual-abused trauma
Sexual abuse
sexual-abused children
drawing analysis
art therapy
Refers: 

[1] Edwards, D, (2014), Art therapy, sage.

[2] Malchiodi, C. A. (Ed.), (2011), Handbook of art therapy, Guilford Press.

[3] David, R, (1991), Tìm hiểu trẻ em qua hình vẽ, (Nguyễn Thị Nhất lược dịch), NXB Kim Đồng

[4] Kaplan, F, (2000), Art, science and art therapy: Repainting the picture, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

[5] Fernandez, L, (2005), Le test de L’arbre, Editions in Press.

[6] Jolley, R. P, (2009), Children and pictures: Drawing and understanding, John Wiley & Sons

[7] Pifalo, T, (2006), Art therapy with sexually abused children and adolescents: Extended research study, Art Therapy, 23(4), p.181-185

[8] Malchiodi, C, (2012), Trauma informed art therapy and sexual abuse in children.

[9] Trần Thị Minh Đức, (2009), Nhận biết tâm lí trẻ em qua tranh vẽ, NXB Khoa học Kĩ thuật.

[10] Gieser, L. E - Stein, M. I, (1999), Evocative images: The Thematic Apperception Test and the art of projection, American Psychological Association, pp. xv-231

[11] Ngô Công Hoàn, (1997), Trắc nghiệm tâm lí, tập 2, NXB Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội

[12] Nguyễn Công Khanh, (2020), Đánh giá và đo lường trong khoa học xã hội: Quy trình, kĩ thuật thiết kế, thích nghi, chuẩn hóa công cụ đo, NXB Chính trị Quốc gia.

[13] Braun, V - Clarke, V, (2006), Using thematic analysis in psychology, Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), p.77-101.

[14] Klett-Davies, M, (2007), Going it Alone? Lone Motherhood in Late Modernity

[15] Gordon, W. M, (2002), Sexual obsessions and OCD, Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 17(4), p.343- 354

[16] Domhardt, M., Münzer, A., Fegert, J. M., & Goldbeck, L, (2015), Resilience in survivors of child sexual abuse: A systematic review of the literature, Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 16(4), p.476-493.

[17] Aakvaag, H. F., Thoresen, S., Wentzel-Larsen, T., Dyb, G., Røysamb, E., & Olff, M, (2016), Broken and guilty since it happened: A population study of trauma-related shame and guilt after violence and sexual abuse,Journal of affective disorders, 204, p.16-23.

[18] Dorahy, M. J., & Clearwater, K, (2012), Shame and guilt in men exposed to childhood sexual abuse: A qualitative investigation, Journal of child sexual abuse, 21(2), p.155-175.

[19] Maniglio, R, (2010), Child sexual abuse in the etiology of depression: A systematic review of reviews, Depression and anxiety, 27(7), p.631-642.

[20] Ensink, K., Bégin, M., Normandin, L., & Fonagy, P, (2016), Maternal and child reflective functioning in the context of child sexual abuse: Pathways to depression and externalising difficulties, European journal of psychotraumatology, 7(1), 30611

[21] Cashmore, J., & Shackel, R, (2013), The long-term effects of child sexual abuse, p. 11, Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies

[22] Rodriguez-Srednicki, O, (2002), Childhood sexual abuse, dissociation, and adult self-destructive behavior, Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 10(3), p.75-89

[23] Kisiel, C. L., & Lyons, J. S, (2001), Dissociation as a mediator of psychopathology among sexually abused children and adolescents, American Journal of Psychiatry, 158(7), p.1034-1039

[24] Martin, G., Bergen, H. A., Richardson, A. S., Roeger, L., & Allison, S, (2004), Sexual abuse and suicidality: Gender differences in a large community sample of adolescents, Child abuse & neglect, 28(5), p.491-503.

[25] Gorey, K. M., Richter, N. L., & Snider, E, (2001), Guilt, isolation and hopelessness among female survivors of childhood sexual abuse: effectiveness of group work intervention, Child Abuse & Neglect, 25(3), p.347-355

[26] Houghton, S., Marais, I., Hunter, S. C., Carroll, A., Lawrence, D., & Tan, C, (2021), Loneliness in adolescence: a Rasch analysis of the Perth A-loneness scale, Quality of Life Research, 30(2), p.589-601

Articles in Issue