The analysis of a child's drawing is an important element of psychological diagnosis that clinicians should also be aware of. This article presents the basic principles of interpreting the drawings of children of different ages.
Achild's drawing of genitalia of depicted characters or sexual scenes should raise serious concern. A close look should then be taken at whether the child appears sad, tired, apathetic or whether symptoms such as wetting have appeared for some time. Attention should also be paid to sexual play that is too mature for the child, or to sexual openness towards others.
Figure: Example of a drawing of a sexually abused child. When asked to draw the family, the child draws insecurely, with a dark, thin line, clearly emphasising the genitals.
So what should parents do when they are disturbed by their child's drawings:
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talk to them calmly about what has happened recently, whether they are worried about something
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try to spend more time with the child
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give the child the opportunity to realise that he or she can feel safe at home (or with a particular person) and that whatever happens, the parents (or other people close to him or her) will love him or her
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collect the drawings that have caused our concern
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ask the child what they represent and ask them to say something about them
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find out if the child's friends are experiencing difficulties and troubles, if possible look at their drawings
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observe your child to see if their behaviour has changed
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when your child's creations are worrying you or you cannot identify factors that may have influenced the change in the drawings, it is a good idea to contact a psychologist who works with children (it is a good idea to take the child's drawings to the meeting) - the psychologist, who deals with similar problems on a daily basis, is often more likely to be able to determine the cause of your concern
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do not fall into despair (this will certainly not be to the benefit of the child)
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not to think of the worst - remember that children, being much less affected by their environment, are not usually afraid to draw boldly and what they feel like, unlike adults
B I B L I O G R A P H I C A L :
1.Frydrychowicz A.: Drawing the Family. Warsaw 1996
2.Ligęza M.: The world told by drawings [in]: Charaktery November 1997, pp.26-27
3.Oster G.D., Gould P: Drawing in psychotherapy. GWP. Gdańsk 2000
