Abstract
Forced relocation of people from their homes due to changes in borders, war, or natural disasters has been recognized in the literature as a stressor which has affected communities throughout the world. However, the responses of latency-aged children to these stressors have not been sufficiently addressed. In an attempt to fill that gap, this article presents a phenomenological and diagnostic analysis of drawings made by Israeli children aged 7–9 who were evacuated from localities in the Gaza Strip area. The drawings indicate that the experience of forced relocation remained a significant one for the children, even 2 years after the event. The children’s drawings reveal the difficulties they experienced, as well as the coping strategies that they used to work through the experience and adjust to the situation. The drawings indicate that with the passage of time their perceptions of the evacuation were not traumatic. The main coping strategies reflected in the children’s drawings are defense and distancing mechanisms, as well as family and community support. In addition, the children included numerous ideological statements in their drawings, which evidently reflect an attempt to understand the meaning of the relocation, and emphasize their group affiliation. As a result, it is important to include the components of ideology, community, and family in evaluations and psychosocial interventions in order to promote the children’s constructive coping.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adjukovic, M., & Adjukovic, D. (1998). Impact of displacement on the psychological well-being of refugee children. International Review of Psychiatry, 10, 186–195.
Agmon, S. (1990). Yeladim olim: Ma’avarim vehistaglut beveit hasefer. [Immigrant: Transitions and adjustment in school]. Jerusalem: The Pedagogic Administration, Ministry of Education and Culture (Hebrew).
Betensky, M. G. (1995). What do you see? Phenomenology of therapeutic art experience. UK: Jessica Kingsley.
Billig, M., Kohn, R., & Levav, I. (2006). Anticipatory stress in the population facing forced removal from the Gaza Strip. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 194, 195–200.
Brown, B. B., & Perkins, D. D. (1992). Disruption in place attachment. In I. Altman & S. M. Low (Eds.), Place attachment (pp. 279–304). New York: Plenum Press.
Burns, R. C. (1987). Kinetic-House-Tree-Person drawings (KHTP): An interpretive manual. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
David, D., Mellman, T. A., & Mendoza, L. M. (1996). Psychiatric morbidity following Hurricane Andrew. Journal of Traumatic stress, 9, 607–612.
Dekel, R., & Nuttman-Shwartz, O. (2009). PTSD and PTG following Qassam attacks: Correlations and contributors among development town and kibbutz residents. Health and Social Work, 34, 87–96.
Dovey, K. (1985). Home and homelessness. In I. Altman & C. Werner (Eds.), Home environments (pp. 33–64). New York: Plenum.
Edwards, M. A., & Steinglass, P. (2001). Relocation as potential stressor or stimulating challenge. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 13, 121–152.
Fisher, S. (1988). Leaving home: Homesickness and the psychological effects of change and transition. In S. Fisher & J. Reason (Eds.), Handbook of life stress, cognition and health (pp. 41–59). New York: Wiley.
Furth, G. M. (2002). The secret word of drawings. A Jungian approach to healing through art. Toronto: Inner City Books.
Galili, R., & Lev-Wiesel, R. (2007). Tehushat hamakom bekerev bogrim shene’ekru begil hahitbagrut memakom megurim: Pinui Sinai bemabat leahor. [Sense of Place among Adults Who Were Relocated During Adolescence: A Retrospective Study of Israeli Residents of the Sinai]. Society and Welfare, 27, 37–53. (Hebrew).
Gerrity, E. T., & Steinglass, P. (2003). Relocation stress following catastrophic events. In R. J. Ursano, C. S. Fullerton, & A. E. Norwood (Eds.), Terrorism and disaster, individual and community mental health interventions (pp. 259–286). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Hall, B., Hobfoll, S. E., Palmieri, P. A., Canetti-Nisdim, D., Shapira, O., Johnson, R. J., et al. (2008). The psychological impact of impending forced settler disengagement in Gaza: Trauma and posttraumatic growth. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21, 22–29.
Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conversation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44, 513–524.
Hobfoll, S. E. (2001). The influence of culture community and the nested-self in the stress process: Advancing conservation of resources theory. Applied Psychology: An International Journal, 50, 337–421.
Hubberman, M., & Miles, M. (2002). Reflections and advice. In M. Hubberman & M. Miles (Eds.), The qualitative researcher’s companion (pp. 393–399). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Jung, C. G. (1974). Man and his symbols. London: Aldus Books.
Kaplan, Z., Matar, M. A., Kamin, R., Sadan, T., & Cohen, H. (2005). Stress-related responses after 3 years of exposure to terror in Israel: Are ideological religious factors associated with resilience? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 66, 1146–1154.
Kliot, N. (1987). Here and there: The phenomenology of settlement removal from northern Sinai. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 23, 35–51.
Laor, N., Wolmer, L., Alon, M., Siev, J., Samuel, E., & Toren, P. (2006). Risk and protective factors mediating psychological symptoms and ideological commitment of adolescents facing continuous terrorism. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 194, 275–278.
Lev, R. (1995). I-vada’aut, akira me’ones, vetafkid hakehila behitmodedut im dahak [Uncertainty, forced relocation, and the role of the community in coping with stress]. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Hebrew).
Maksimovic, M., Kocijancic, R., Backovic, D., Ille, T., & Paunovic, K. (2005). Adaptation and mental-hygienic characteristics of internally displaced adolescents. Srpski Arhiv za Celokupno Lekarstvo, 133, 266–271.
Malchiodi, C. (1998). Understanding children’s drawings. New York: Guilford.
Masten, A. S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56, 227–238.
Muris, P., Kindt, M., Bogels, S., Merckelbach, H., Gadet, B., & Moulaert, V. (2000). Anxiety and threat perception abnormalities in normal children. Journal of Pschopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 22, 183–199.
Nuttman-Shwartz, O. (2008). From settlers to evacuees: Is forced relocation is a traumatic event? Group: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 31(4), 265–279.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research amd evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Peri, T. (2002). Shikum hanarativ be’emtzaut shihzur histori shel hatrauma [Rehabilitating narrative through historical reconstruction of trauma]. Sihot: Israeli Journal of Psychotherapy, 17, 20–26. (Hebrew).
Prime Minister’s Office/sela administration for assistance to settlers from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria (July 2006). Final Report.
Ryff, C. D., & Essex, M. J. (1992). The interpretation of life experience and well- being: The sample case of relocation. Psychology and Aging, 7, 507–517.
Sagy, S. (2005). Between rebellion and disengagement: Youth cope with a changing political reality. Academia: Journal of the Committee of University Chairmen, 16, 12–25. (Hebrew).
Shacham, M., & Lahad, M. (2004). Stress reactions and coping resources mobilized by children under shelling and evacuation. The Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies Retrieved December 8, 2006, from http://www.massey.ac.nz/~trauma/issues/2004-2/shacham.htm.
Silove, D. (2000). Trauma and forced relocation. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 13, 231–236.
Silver, R. (2005). Aggression and depression assessed through art. New York: Brunner and Routledge.
Solberg, S. (1994). Psicologia shel hayeled vehamitbager: Mavo lepsicologia hitpathutit [Adolescent and child psychology: Introduction to developmental psychology]. Jerusalem: Magnes Press (Hebrew).
Sroufe, A., Cooper, R., & D’Hart, G. (1998). Hitpathut hayeled: Tiv’a umahalaha [Child development: Its Nature and course]. Ramat Aviv: Open University (Hebrew).
Stronach-Bushel, B. (1990). Trauma, children and art. American Journal of Art Therapy, 29, 48–52.
Tobiana, Y., Milgram, N., & Pelech, H. (1988). Lahatz vehitmodedut etzel mefunei hevel Yamit: Maskanot vehamlatzot [Stress and coping among evacuees from Yamit: Conclusions and recommendations]. Megamot, 31, 65–82. (Hebrew).
Volkan, V. D. (1997). Bloodlines: From ethnic pride to ethnic terrorism. New York: Farrar Straus and Giroux.
Weems, C. F., & Costa, N. M. (2005). Developmental differences in the expression of childhood anxiety symptoms and fears. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 44, 656–663.
Weimar, M. (2005). Tsiurim medabrim: Kelim veshitot lehavanat tsiurei yeladim [Pictures speak: Tools and methods for understanding children’s drawings]. Tel Aviv: Mentor Press.
Wilson, L. (2001). Symbolism in art therapy. In J. Rubin (Ed.), Approaches to art therapy (pp. 40–53). Philadelphia: Brunner and Routledge.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nuttman-Shwartz, O., Huss, E. & Altman, A. The Experience of Forced Relocation as Expressed in Children’s Drawings. Clin Soc Work J 38, 397–407 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-010-0288-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-010-0288-z