Building consensus and resolving conflicts through Expressive Arts: Borrowing from the case of a Juvenile Facility in Delhi

• In Event: South Asia, Young Learners and Social Justice

Proposal

Rehabilitating "Children in Conflict with Law (CCL)," - children under 18 alleged to have committed offenses in India, poses an enduring challenge for policymakers, social workers, and psychologists. Research reveals that many of these young adults face social issues like drug and alcohol abuse, becoming victims of local mafia involvement in petty crimes like robbery and theft (Kumari, 2004). Additionally, patterns emerge where abusive or dysfunctional family environments hinder a child's growth and self-expression, leading to problems with self-image and ineffective resolution of interpersonal and intra-personal issues (Smeijsters et al., 2011).
Currently, India’s Juvenile Justice system is able to locate this context and provide prescriptive services like food and shelter, along with access to education, recreational activities, mental health services, occupational therapy, skill development and legal aid wherever necessary (Juvenile Justice Care and Protection Act, 2015).
Ideally, expert supervisors, familiar with the children's circumstances should be executing these services. However, the lack of such experts jeopardizes the implementation of these practices, turning juvenile institutions into contested and conflict-ridden sites where children resort to rebellious behaviors, including inciting violence.
Intervention
There is a growing body of Literature on Expressive Arts Therapy practices such as movement, drawing, painting, sculpting, music, writing, and improvisation, being used with young offenders to work on issues of emotional self-management (Smeijsters et al., 2010, Rogers, 1993). Research shows that art therapy has been helpful in overcoming verbal barriers (Gussak, 2009) along with stress reduction, increasing self-confidence and creating an environment of enjoyment where children show improved concentration skills (Persons, 2008; Keulen-de Voset al., 2017).
Beginning in May 2018, at a judicial observation home for boys in Delhi that houses Children in Conflict with Law aged 16-21 years, we conducted 50 Expressive Arts Therapy sessions that were aimed at building self-expression, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, reducing aggression and increasing a sense of overall well-being of the participants. The program was designed by a team of expert Master Practitioners centring critical indicators that need to be addressed. Through our inquiry, we ask the question: What is the impact of expressive arts therapy on Children in Conflict with the law at an Observation facility in Delhi?

Methodology
Utilizing a social constructivist approach that values interaction and discussion among participants, peers, and stakeholders as essential components of learning and growth (Powell & Kalina, 2009; Prawat, 1992) the intervention conducted Expressive Arts workshops in group settings where participants constantly interact and engage using the arts, and learn through each other’s subjective experiences, creating an environment of empathy and mutual respect. The 50 participants of the intervention were divided into two groups (control and treatment) of 25 through random selection without replacement. Expressive Arts workshops were conducted from June 2018 to April 2019 with the treatment group.
To understand impact, we conducted focussed group interviews with members of the Experiment Group and Control group at 3 different intervals (beginning, mid, and end). The research team also spoke to the Staff working at the project site through focused group discussions. All discussions and interviews were recorded and transcribed for analysis.
Findings
Through a thematic analysis of qualitative inputs from focus group interviews (Braun and Clarke, 2012), the following themes emerged:
Reduction in Anger
Participants articulated that they felt ‘less angry’, wanted to ‘focus more on themselves’ and ‘avoid engaging in conflict’ with others. While these changes were seen at the initial stages, they were further cemented at the end of the program. The staff also observed that most members of the experimental group were ‘calmer, quieter, and happier, and had learned to talk to and treat others with respect.’
“I enjoy painting, a lot… Whenever I am feeling sad or angry, I start painting… either on a piece of paper or on the walls inside... I feel calm after I paint… at peace… I had never painted before this in my life.”
Gagan, Participant
Increased Cooperation and Patience
Similalry, there was a sense that there was an improvement in the attitude of most participants of the experiment group. They were more ‘cooperative, respectful and had generally become easier to manage and active in helping out with daily tasks at the facility.’ These observations did not hold true for the control group, while the staff did report some carryover effects on other students.
“Your kids... they work in the kitchen…they paint also… their fights have also reduced. Looking at them, some other boys have also started requesting responsibilities…”
Aman, Staff
Increased Perception of Expression
Participants also showed enhanced patience and reduced obstinacy in wanting their wishes to be heard, no longer insisting on having things their way. Some participants also demonstrated efforts to improve themselves and envision a better future. They exhibited decreased anger and conflicts with others, now taking time to think before speaking or reacting.
“I don’t react now, I wait. If someone takes the TV remote from me, I understand. I let them watch TV now. If I get angry, I stand alone, think… anger reduces… I want to become a better man now…”
Sameer, Participant
Discussion
The results highlight the effectiveness of Expressive Arts practices in fostering trust and harmony, potentially facilitating consensus among conflicting stakeholders. Although the study was conducted in a Juvenile Observation facility in Delhi, its process and findings can be applied to other settings where hierarchical relationships and unequal power dynamics lead to conflicts and rebellious behavior. Protest often arises from powerlessness when communication and decentralization systems break down. Based on the study's findings, it can be argued that the Arts serve as a tool for communication, consensus, and mediation among conflicting stakeholders.
The study's findings support collaborative conflict resolution approaches. At the Observation facility, traditional psychological practices proved ineffective in finding reasonable solutions. Therefore, two crucial actions emerge: firstly, incorporating innovative Expressive Arts therapy alongside behavioral therapies for concrete solutions. Secondly, civil society organizations, like ours, must actively collaborate with institutions to drive positive changes. The unmet needs and unheard voices of these young children, who are victims of circumstances, not perpetrators, necessitate urgent attention.

Authors

• Rijul Kataria, The Yuva Ekta Foundation

• Bhanu Mehta, The Yuva Ekta Foundation

• Puneeta Roy, The Yuva Ekta Foundation

• Tarang Tripathi, University of Calfornia, San Diego