Using Play and Drama in Developing Resilience in Children at Risk

Abstract

The paper addresses the issue of resilience in children at risk considering that children may be more terrified when they are witness to high arousal, panic and adult shock response to traumatic events (especially when it is about significant people in their life) than when are themselves threatened. The purpose of the research is to see how play and drama sessions can influence the level of resilience in children at risk who manifest school refusal, inability to focus on school tasks, aggressive behaviors, decrease of the school performances. To assess the level of resilience we used the drawings of the children included in the study and questions with heuristic value developed by Malchiodi, Steele & Kuban (2008). Play and drama sessions were built on the basic structure: the warm-up, main event and closure. The results revealed an increase in self-confidence and a reduction in disruptive behaviors. Creative work sessions offered alternative ways of communication and opportunities to work in group. Through art and play, a child in a special needs situation can explore the physical and social environment, address past and current emotional issues, can create a role and reach a state of satisfaction from imaginary events.

Coping With the Pandemic in 2020 and 2021: A Mixed-Method Study of Adolescents in Luxembourg

“…Resilience factors relating to the level of the wider community include a well-functioning school and community (neighbors, peers, teachers, positive adult role models, church), which can support both the children and the families during high-stress situations (Burns & Gottschalk, 2019;Folostina et al, 2015;Masten, 2001Masten, , 2016Masten & Barnes, 2018;Masten & Narayan, 2012). Caring adult role models such as teachers who believe in the child and act as advocates can help children withstand adversity (Burns & Gottschalk, 2019;Walsh, 2015).…”

Dramatic play therapy.

“…Drama therapy has been shown to be particularly helpful for increasing social and emotional development (Amatruda, 2006;N. Feldman, 2008), building conflict resolution skills (Karatas, 2011), community interventions after traumatic events (Landy, 2010), building resilience (Folostina et al, 2015), clarifying narratives of foster and adoptive children (Moore, 2010), and children with histories of child abuse (James et al, 2005). Drama therapy has proven consistently most effective with adolescents and has been researched most with this population.…”

Neuro-Physiological Psychotherapy (NPP): The development and application of an integrative, wrap-around service and treatment programme for maltreated children placed in adoptive and foster care placements

“…Academic research on dramatherapy is almost exclusively of a qualitative nature – taking approaches such as case study analysis (Folostina et al, 2015; Novy, 2003) or an exploration of the theory behind the practice (Pendzik, 2008). There are a small number of quantitative experimental studies on the effectiveness of dramatherapy (Anari, Ddadsetan, & Sedghpour, 2009; Mackey, Gold & Gold, 1987).…”