Speaker
Description
Objectives
Can an innovative projective drawing test help children disclose their bullying exposure? Bullying leads to recurrent ED visits for physical or emotional trauma, hindered by children’s reticence to verbalize. Identifying patterns, referred to as graphic indicators, can characterize forms of trauma linked to bullying.
Methods
Sixty-four children aged 7 to 18 years with psychosomatic symptoms at a pediatric emergency department were asked to draw themselves on paper. Drawings were scored blindly by counting the frequency of 22 graphic indicators on self-figure drawings used to assess various forms of child abuse. Children were categorized using the Illinois Bully Scale score. The discriminant analysis evaluated the relative weighting of the 22 graphical indicators, aiming for optimal discrimination between the bullied and non-bullied groups. ROC analysis was used to maximize the diagnostic accuracy of the drawing test.
Results
Four graphical indicators emerged as potential markers of bullying (Table 1):
• Missing legs or feet
• Dots, hollowed or crossed eyes
• Double-lined, hollowed, or shaded facial contours
• Asymmetrical or horizontal arm positions
Discriminant scores ranged from 0.00 (indicating no bullying) to 4.76 (indicating bullying). The criterion separating the two groups was a discriminant score > 1.90. The resulting area under the curve was 0.88 (p < 0.001), indicating good predictive ability. The test demonstrated a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 91%.
Conclusions
Identifiable drawing cues in children may signal bullying, prompting further research to develop a standardized tool for early identification of bullying exposure.
Keywords
Bullying; bullying disclosure; drawing
| Please also indicate what kind of contribution it is: | Scientific |
|---|---|
| Please indicate what type of scientific contribution it is | Theoretical contribution |
