Abstract

The number of cases of sexually abused children remains particularly alarming and pinpoints a discomfort in our society, in which this crime occurs on a daily basis. The objective of this study was to design, implement and evaluate an intervention program consisting of 16 sessions using art therapy with a group of three young girls victim of sexual abuse. The treatment effectiveness was evaluated on the psycho-socio-affective levels according to the mixed methods methodology, combining the qualitative and quantitative approaches simultaneously in a quasi-experimental design. The qualitative phase included a description and detailed analysis of the intervention, whereas in the quantitative phase the effect of the program on the participants' symptomatology was evaluated using pre- and post-tests. The assessment tools employed were the Trauma symptom checklist for children and the Draw a person test for emotional disturbances. The results demonstrated a significant reduction of some of the measured symptoms such as self-esteem, affect expression, anger, post-traumatic stress and sexual preoccupations. On the other hand, anxiety and depression were found to be less sensitive to the treatment. In spite of the limited number of participants, the results were positive and support the use of art therapy with victims of sexual abuse.