Investigating impact: The effects of school-based art therapy on adolescent boys living in poverty

Objective: This study assessed the effectiveness of group art therapy in improving social and emotional issues for adolescent boys of color living in poverty. Methods: The sample consisted of 162 male ninth graders in the South Bronx; 70 % identified as Latinx and 24 % as African American. For 6 months, one pre-existing class from each of three academic tracks (Honors, Average, and At-Risk) was randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 80) that participated in 12 weekly group art therapy sessions, and the remaining classes (n = 76) were assigned to a control condition. All participants were administered the BASC-2 Self Report Survey preand post-intervention. Results: Two-way between subjects analysis of variance was used to test for the effects of Academic Track, Group, and their interaction on the BASC-2 variables. There were no significant effects of Group and no significant interaction effects. School Problems scale and Internalizing Problems scale showed significant effects for Academic Track, with p < 0.032 and p < 0.023, respectively. For School Problems students in the At Risk group showed greater improvement than those in the Average track p < 0.01. For Internalizing Problems, students in the At Risk track showed significantly more improvement than those in the Average track, p < 0.007. Conclusion: The findings suggest that Art Therapy has promise in addressing varied needs of high school students at different academic levels who are living in poverty.