The Role of Drawing in Recognizing and Assisting Teachers with Abused Children

Cilj ovoga rada je prikazati pojedine oblike nasilja te posljedice koje oni ostavljaju na djecu, a po kojima možemo prepoznati zlostavljano dijete. Najveći je ipak naglasak na prepoznavanje zlostavljane djece pomoću crteža te načine reagiranja i pružanja pomoći zlostavljanoj djeci. Crtež zlostavljanog djeteta razlikuje se od crteža druge djece prema načinu likovnog izražavanja, odnosno likovnim elementima koje dijete koristi te prema motivima koje dijete crta. Neke od specifičnosti likovnog izražavanja zlostavljane djece su pretjerano crtanje šara i škrabotina te izrazito točkanje i sjenčanje po crtežu. Također, na crtežima zlostavljane djece česta je pretjerana upotreba crvene, crne ili zelene boje. Zlostavljana djeca često koriste i bljedunjave boje na crtežu. Motivi zlostavljane djece najčešće se odnose na prikazivanje likova, odnosno pojedinih dijelova tijela (njihova nepovezanost ili izostanak), ponajviše lica (velika usta u obliku slova o, izostanak usta, velike ili male oči, suze, prekriveno lice), na prikazivanje obitelji (veličina i položaj likova preslika su obiteljskih odnosa), kuće (klinasti elementi, vrata, prozori, spavaća soba) ili okoline u kojoj najčešće prevladavaju elementi nevremena (oblaci, kiša, vjetar) ili ozlijeđenih stabala. Iako učitelji imaju mogućnost da među prvima uoče potencijalno zlostavljano dijete, za potvrdu sumnji i daljnju obradu svakako je potrebno proći dodatnu stručnu edukaciju ili zatražiti pomoć stručnjaka. Daljnje istraživanje o zlostavljanju treba provesti pomoću stručne analize više dječjih crteža te razgovorom s djetetom o njima. Stručno vođena terapija crtanjem može pomoći djetetu da se oslobodi iskustva zlostavljanja. Osim vlastitim modelom, učitelj je na učenička ponašanja i sustav vrijednosti dužan utjecati i provođenjem prevencije nasilja i rizičnih ponašanja. Također, na svaku sumnju ili saznanje o mogućem zlostavljanju djeteta učitelj je dužan reagirati prema brojnim zakonskim regulativama.The objective of this paper is to display individual forms of violence and their aftermath on children, which can be used as an aid to recognize an abused child. The utmost emphasis, however, lies on the recognition of abused children by the assistance of drawings and on means and methods of reaction and provision of help to said target group of children. The drawing of an abused child differs from drawings of other children by artistic expression, respectively, the artistic elements used by the child and the motifs that it chooses to draw. Some specificities of the visual expression of abused children are excessive carving of scarves and scribes and sharpening and shading of the drawing. Drawings of abused children often feature an abundance of the colors red, black or green but at times they can also feature pale colors. Motifs chosen by abused children are related to display of characters: individual body parts (their incoherence or absence), uppermost the face (a big mouth rounding into an „o“ shape, absence of the mouth, big or small eyes, tears, concealed face), representations of family (the size and position of characters mirror family relationships), housing (wedged elements, doors, windows, bedrooms) or an environment display with a prevalence of severe weather elements (clouds, rain, wind) or injured trees. Although teachers have the ability to spot a potentially abused child among the first, for the confirmation of suspicion and further processing, it is certainly necessary to undertake additional vocational training or to seek assistance of an expert. Further investigation of abuse should be carried out by means of expert analysis of multiple child drawings and conversation with the child. Guided drawing therapy can help a child to ease the abuse-experience. In addition to its own model, the teacher has to influence the students behavior and value system by conducting prevention of violence and risk behaviors. Also, on any suspicion or knowledge of possible child abuse, the teacher is obliged to respond to numerous legal regulations