Art Therapy Strategies to Raise Self-Esteem in Female Juvenile Offenders: A Comparison of Art Psychotherapy and Art as Therapy Approaches

This exploratory, quasi-experimental study compared the impact of 2 art therapy approaches on the self-esteem of 27 female juvenile offenders. Participants took part in an art psychotherapy or an art as therapy group intervention. Self-esteem was measured with a questionnaire designed by the authors and the Harter Adolescent Self-Perception Profile. There were no significant differences on the questionnaire postintervention, with both groups reporting increased feelings of mastery, connection, and self-approval. On Harter's Profile, administered pre and post, both showed an increase in global selfworth. However, the art psychotherapy group showed a significant increase in domains of close friendship and behavioral conduct whereas the art as therapy group did so in the domain of social acceptance. This implies an approach can be selected to build greater trust and self-disclosure or to foster general group cohesion, based on client needs.