Expressive Arts Therapy with Pregnant Adolescents in South Africa: Observations and Reflections on Intimate Partner Violence and Intergenerational Transmission of Violence

This paper is based on a qualitative arts-based pilot research aiming at understanding pregnant adolescents, victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) in South Africa (SA) with the long-term goal to design a mental health service to support the adolescents and positively influence intergenerational transmission of violence. Through a literature review and the author’s observations and reflections, the relation between adolescent pregnancy, trauma, intimate partner violence and intergenerational transmission of violence is discussed and explored. This paper details the expressive arts interventions, the relevance of those interventions in relation to the prevention of intergenerational transmission of violence, and the experience of the participants. Although the collected data is insufficient to predict specific outcomes, the unanimous positive feedback from the participants regarding what they received from the sessions provided hope that those sessions could influence the perpetuation of the cycle of violence. Valuable information was collected in regards of designing tailored mental health support services. Along with artistic responses, the author presented the difficulties encountered when working with this vulnerable and traumatized population, and the feelings of exclusions experienced due to the language difference. I shared my surprise at the faith and resiliency of the adolescents and I explained how this experience shifted my perception of this population, race related power dynamic in the therapeutic relationship, and resiliency