Childhood Education

ISSN: 0009-4056 (Print) 2162-0725 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uced20

Building Resiliency to Childhood Trauma through

Arts-based Learning

Cathy Smilan

To cite this article: Cathy Smilan (2009) Building Resiliency to Childhood Trauma through Arts-
based Learning, Childhood Education, 85:6, 380-384, DOI: 10.1080/00094056.2009.10521405

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Published online: 25 Jul 2012.

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Cathy Smiian is Assistant

Professor
Master Art Education
of and Director ofProgram,
the Childhood Trauma Through
University of Massachusetts Dart-
mouth. I Arts-based Learning

T
he past several years have borne witness unique factor of natural disaster is that it affects the
to a seemingly unprecedented series of entire community, undermining the impact of the
natural and man-made disasters that have childs sense of safety and well-being. Since damage
impacted the global community. Tsuna- sustained in childhood cannot always be overcome
mis, earthquakes, monsoons, hurricanes, later in life (Jabry,2005), it is imperative that educators
floods, and wars have devastated communities, fami- and child care professionals develop strategies to help
lies, and, ultimately, children. Scarcely a day goes by children deal with the trauma of natural and man-
without news of catastrophe; disaster, either natural or made disasters. Traumatic stress may render children
artificially induced, is becoming the norm. According academically at risk, negatively affecting their ability
to Frost (2005), to focus and engage in reflective analysis (Cook-Cot-
tone, 2004). Since teachers often spend a great deal of
Becauseofthegrowingfrequencyofworldterrorismandnatu- time with children, they must help students to process
ral disasters, the need to be prepared takes on new urgency, traumatic experiences to help avoid negative effects
not only with respect to prevention and early rescue of those on their learning and emotional well-being. Before
affected, but also for those,especially children,who will suffer educators can develop learning activities to help with
the lingering emotional and physical consequences. (p. 2) such processing, however, they must consider several
important questions:
NATURAL
DISASTERS
Natural disasters are among the numerous events How does our visual culture-which immediately
known to have a significant probability of producing portrays the stark realities of the world-impact
trauma in school-age children (Falasca & Caulfield, children and childhood?
1999), given the critical mental, physical, social, and How do teachers and parents balance protection from
emotional development that occurs during childhood and preparation for the reality of today's world?
(Jabry,2005). Studiesinvolvingchildrenwho haveexpe- How do we instill a sense of belonging and security
rienced natural disasters point to a significant increase while fostering empathy in children?
in psychological problems along the continuum from
mild anxiety to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) VISUAL
CULTUREAND THE CHANGING
following the event (Delamater & Applegate, 1999; La IMAGEOF CHILDHOOD
Greca, Silverman, Vernberg, & Prinstein, 1996). The An important issue in the field of art education is the
impact of these epic tragedies on children's emotional emergence of visual culture as a sub-discipline. Due
and cognitive well-being may lead to serious deficits to the pervasive nature of media in our lives, the im-
in learning opportunities. The need to bridge these mediacy of imagery has vastly altered the reality of
troubled waters has never been more powerful or the way we live and the way we see-dramatically
pertinent. Frost (2005) suggested that due to the epic changing the ways in which we experience the world.
disasters of the early 21st century, "Relief workers, In our media age, changes in human reality stretch far
teachers, and other professionals must address the ef- beyond children who are directly impacted by disaster.
fects of childhood trauma on a massive scale that will Due to the production and consumption of virtual and
test their coping skills for the indefinite future" (p. visual reality, childhood is no longer a safe and pro-
2). Educators are being called upon to facilitate heal- tected incubator for learning, as children are forced to
ing in a tumultuous world, not merely for the sake of deal with adult images and situations on a minute-by-
the learning and development of every child, but for minute basis. Tavin (2005) describes how prevalent it
humanity as a whole. is in the United States to have the media portray our
Lazarus, Jimerson, and Brock (2003) suggest that a "permanent war on terror" with "images, artifacts, in-

380 \. Childhood Education

struments, [and] objects” (p. 17),thus creating a visual children of all ages. One of the primary purposes for
culture that has a clear impact on lives, including those art education is to provide students with the opportu-
of children. Thus, media-showcased exemplars, the nity to develop in-depth, meaningful self-expression
live video feed of sensationalism that sells advertising, through the organization of cognition,the development
become the reality of the new technologicallyenhanced of perceptual abilities, and consideration of emotional
childhood existence. capabilities (Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1987).

MANUFACTURED
DISTRACTION: Creating Balance Through Therapeutic
OF MAN-MADE
STRESSES AND IMPOSED
TRAUMAArts-based Processing
Our visual culture, and the immediacy with which The processes intrinsic to the arts may provide a safe
images are shared in our technologicallyadvanced soci- environment for processing some of the stress man-
ety, create unprecedented stresses for today’s children. agement and cognitive restructuring necessary for
Beyond the external inundation of broadcasted words reintegration into school following a disaster. These
and images, students are often assigned learning tasks attributes found in art learning are in line with the
requiring them to collect information about, and to ana- conditions for therapeutic change established by Rog-
lyze, disastrous world events. In schools,presentations ers (1942),which include: 1) establishing a supportive
about current eventsmay serveto keep studentsfocused atmosphereof non-judgmentalresponse, 2)encouraging
on stressful world situations. Children must be given freedom of response, 3) affirming and reflecting the
the opportunity to move beyond data collection, and child’s feelings,4)showing respect for the child’s ability
the often accompanying desensitization, to transform and responsibility to solve problems, 5) allowing the
image and text through emotive means. Dewey (1934) child to work at a comfortable pace, and 6) establishing
taught us that we learn through authentically experi- expectations. These conditionsparallel the environment
encing conceptsand through participatoryengagement.. for creative, expressive development in art education
One such model of engagement is a particular branch curriculum and the language arts curriculum.
of arts-integrated learning that addresses processes of Loock, Myburgh, and Poggenpoel(2003)suggest that
reconciliation and resilience. the art-making process involves projection of human
expression, which may lead to initial relief from past
MEETING
THE EMOTIONAL
AND trauma. Through art experiences, individuals learn to
COGNITIVE
NEEDSOF STUDENTS recall and process schema from past experiences and
express their feelings in concrete representations. As
Meaning-Making: A Goal of Art Education if sketching out the thoughts of the traumatic event,
The field of art education is currently addressing the erasing and adjusting the image as necessary (Jen-
impact of environmental images (focused on natural sen, 2001), the student artist is able to represent the
and manufactured environment)on learners’ aesthetic, transformed memory through the art activity. In this
emotive, and perceptual dispositions. Hicks and King way, the arts serve as two-dimensional storyboards of
(2007)indicate that visual culture and expression multi-dimensional, traumatic events. Once on paper,
through the arts are appropriate media for meaning- the student-created image is much more tolerable than
making and processing as they “provide tools and a the un-visualized or un-verbalized memory. Langer
medium for negotiating the interface between culture (1953)posited that “the arts themselves exhibit a strik-
and nature, the human and the more than human” (p. ing unity and logic, and seem to present a fair field
332). In a similar vein, aesthetic philosopher Susan for systematic thought” (p. 4). Children’s ability to
Langer (1953)made the distinction between previously establish control through the creation of art and artistic
created literature and the improvisational qualities of performance helps them to organize their thoughts on
the dramatic arts: various topics. Researchers (e.g., Loock et al., 2003)
found that art processes facilitated empowerment over
Literature projects the image of life in the mode of vir- the stress-evoking events and aided in mental well-be-
tual memory . . . [it] creates the illusion of life as a realm of ing by providing opportunities to share experiences
events-completed, lived as words formulate them-events in an empathic environment through symbolically
that compose a Past. But drama presents the poetic illusion expressing emotions in a concrete way.
in a different light: not finished realities, or “events” but
immediate, visible responses of human beings, make its Integrating Trauma Through Visual
semblance of life. (p. 306) Order: Establishing Control
Falasca and Caulfield (1999)suggested that memories
Processing through the creative arts, including are an important factor in shaping a child’s feelings of
drama, visual arts, and creative writing, is crucial for security and perseverance. Integrationof the event is an

International Focus issue 2009 / 381

important step toward returning to a state of normalcy moved quickly to use arts-based curriculum to help
and control. Accordingto Holt (1967/1983),childrenhave students cope with the effects of disastrous events.
a natural desire to master control over self and environ- ICAF hosts ongoing International Child Peacemaking
ment in the learning process. Traumatic events displace projects through art and sports. Frost (2005) describes
this sense of mastery, creating cognitive and emotional the efforts of the Association for Play Therapy to help
disequilibrium.Suchemotionalimbalancemay affectthe children in Sri Lanka and Indonesia deal with trauma-
cognitive processes requisite to knowledge acquisition. related fear andgrief throughsinging, puppetry,dancing,
A rebalancing is necessary in order to restore a sense and storytellingamong other creativeactivities. Another
of control and well-being so that learning may occur. learning activity provided by Plan International, titled
Therapeutic cognitive restructuring must be facilitated Shoot Nations (2008), invites children around the world
in a non-threateningmanner so as to minimize reliving to use expressive photography to communicate their
of the trauma. perceptions of the world. Through the project, “Young
In light of the fact that therapeutic restructuring must people [can]expresstheir opinions through visual com-
negotiate the reliving of traumas, the adaptability and munication-you do not need language or education to
transformative component of creative drama can allow take or draw a picture” (Plan International, 2008, ‘j2).
the child to engagecognitively, kinesthetically, emotion- Linnap (2007) emphasizes that the immediacy of the
ally, and artistically in a communal setting. Disaster visual representation and visual processing can be used
interventionsmust consider the whole child (Jabry,2005). as a survival strategy. Similarly, Frost (2005) reminds
Children who witness major world disasters, whether us that
manufactured or natural, and however atrocious, may
exhibit an innate struggle to process and express these Play and creative arts are the child’s natural medium for
acts of devastation through play and creative endeavors self-expression; they allow trained adults to determine the
(Frost, 2005). Play therapy and art therapy (e.g., sponta- nature and causes of behavior; they allow children to express
neous play; creative activities, such as music, drawing, thoughts and concerns for which they may not have words;
painting, and sculpting;and constructingtoys and props and they allow for the cathartic release of feelings and frus-
from scrap materials) allow children to express them- trations. (p. 5)
selvesthrough a “rational-emotive/cognitiveapproach
(Falasca & Caulfield, 1999; Frost, 2005). Multiple forms Vernberg, La Greca, Silverman, and Prinstein (1996)
of the expressive arts are helpful to children as they found that limited access to supportive social relation-
learn to cope with trauma and to work with supportive ships is a significant predictor of PTSD symptoms in
adults, often teachers, to process experiences. Teachers children. Support from teachers and classmates of-
must plan to be participants in a support system for the fered unique effects that were of more significance than
child by developing integrated learning opportunities support from parents or close friends (Vernberg et al.,
that incorporate opportunities for ”the child to play 1996). Typically, as students progress chronologically
out or express her feelings and emotions in a context through grade levels, the curriculum becomes more and
of supportive play materials and positive relationships” more teacher-/text-driven. According to Piazza (2007),
(Frost, Wortham, & Reifel, 2007 p. 278). memory-based learning does not allow for “the human
processes of construction and identity transformation”
RESTORATION:
BEYONDTHE PHYSICAL (p. 103). Arts-based experiential learning, application
As the global community assists with the arduous task of principles from early childhood, would serve older
of rebuilding and providing for the basic physical needs children well as they strive to process and reconcile
of those impacted by disasters, the emotional and cogni- traumatic events in their lives.
tiverestorationof thechildren in thesecommunitiesalso
must be considered. Research (Jabry,2005; Mandalakas, CONSIDERATIONS
FOR EDUCATORS,
Torjesen, & Olness, 1998; MacLeod, 2000) indicates that ADMINISTRATORS,
AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
in disaster situations, the exclusive focus on the physi-
cal needs of children can serve to minimize the equally A Lesson From [Early] Childhood
important, yet less immediately visible, psychological Early childhood educators, and others familiar with the
needs of the child. “We know that psychologically and, Reggio Emilia approach to exploratory learning, know
by extension,academically,childrenare affectedby these that arts-based learning activities developed around
disasters; we just can’t prove it yet” (A. Ishaq, Director, child-drivenexplorationallow children to ask questions
International Child Art Foundation [ICAF], personal about their world, their work, and their learning. Theater,
communication, June 23, 2005). Such organizations as music, and the visual arts afford a safe environment
the ICAF, the Association for Play Therapy, and Plan through which to problematize even the most troubling
International, along with individual educators, have or frustrating situations. According to Frost (2005), chil-

382 \ Childhood Education

dren use play and the creative arts to process situations peers beyond the immediate community. Creativity,
and to physically, cognitively, and emotionally adapt to cognition, and social awareness are fostered by involv-
current and future situations. Frost further states that ing children as writers and illustrators, helping them
the therapeutic benefits for children’spresent lives and become the peacemaking chroniclers of these events.
future well-being are just beginning to be explored. Activities providing opportunitiesfor children to dis-
Seng (1997) reiterates that one of the protectivefactors criminate through all of the sensory experiences are an
definedby the InternationalResilienceProject is external importantpart of this cognitivefunctioning(Oaklander,
support structures in school and community. Design- 1988). The United Nations Convention on the Rights
ing curricula that incorporate arts-based processing of of the Child (CRC),Article 13, states that children have
traumatic events can provide such protection. Further- the right to freely express their views regarding all
more, a multi-modal,arts-based frameworkcanbecome matters affecting them through any mode or medium
a foundation for regular curriculum, for all children, appropriate to their level of development (United Na-
to develop resilience to trauma and empathy for those tions, 1990). Processing through an art form, including
more profoundly affected. Such educational experi- the visual arts, theater arts, and creative writing, can
ences can serve to shift the paradigm from reacting to help studentsunderstand and articulatewhat they have
teachable moments to preparing for, and participating sensed and what they are feeling.
in, rebuilding after the event occurs.
A Few Suggestions for Arts-based
Working Toward Solutions: Learning Activities
Honoring Expertise Anyone who has experiencedthe budding of dormant
Models for PTSD recovery education indicate the trees after a long winter knows the solacefound in this
importance of professional development on topics of rejuvenation. Interval observational drawing of the
reintegration and coping skills for teachers and other recovering landscape can help students to appreciate
school personnel (Cook-Cottone, 2004). Research find- natural resiliency and perseverance.
ings thus support the need for pre-planning of inte- Allow students to help restore the landscape as soon
grative lessons to teach academic discipline concepts after a natural or man-made disaster as safety permits.
while fostering expression and emotional processing Collectingdebris to use for art supplieshelps maintain
in the supportive environment of the classroom. Arts a state of order and provides opportunitiesfor students
education and collegial partnerships with guidance to create using these found objects. For example, after
counselors, art teachers, and classroom teachers offer the hurricane season of 2004, students in South Florida
unique opportunities for such integration. used collected hurricane debris to create a variety of
As with any authentic art-integrated (AAI) curricu- character masks. Each of the charactersplayed a role in
lum, classroom teachers should always partner with the dramatization of the humcane experience(Smilan,
other experts. Ultimately, the classroom teacher, an 2005). Through this group processing, a sense of com-
arts teacher or arts professional, and an educational munity healing was initiated.
counselor would form this partnership to help students Lessonsthat involve a wider communityand empathy
process and systematize the events that they experi- building can be fashioned after Plan International’s
ence, either physically or virtually. Through authentic ShootNations lessons (Plan,2008). Studentscanexpand
learning experiences, teachers can help students to re- their learning and caring about climate change and
construct memories and guide the constructionof new natural disasters by exchanging images and words
understandings. ”Operatingfrom a socio-constructivist with other children around the world.
perspective, the educators act as careful observers and ResolutionScrapbooking(Lowenstein,1995)is another
co-authors of children’s experience” (Piazza, 2007, p. approach to processing trauma experiences. By col-
105). By developing partnerships with counselors and lectingimages,writings, and personalexpressionsand
establishing an environment for learning processes organizing them in a therapeutic scrapbook,children
and reconciliation through play and the creative arts, can work toward closure and reconciliation. The
teachers can guide authenticexplorationsthat empower resolution scrapbook offers yet another safe place to
children. construct meaning and reflect on traumatic events.
Personal narratives-in the forms of visual and
Empowering Children verbal expression, with opportunities to share and
Empowering children through involvementin disaster discuss-are essential. These personal narratives can
preparedness and listening to their voices in the after- take the form of journals, sketchbooks,performances,
math of disasterare essential to the sustainabilityof the and musical compositions. The key is planning time
community (Jabry, 2005). Children’s resilience can be for listening, watching, and caring.
fostered through the images and words of supportive Teacher-/text-based classroom study must be mean-

International Focus Issue 2009 / 383

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384 \ Childhood Education