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The heartbreaking images drawn by children in lockdown: the drawings of children aged four to 14 reveal feelings of death, loss, loneliness and entrapment, reveals the professor
- 68 children between the ages of 4 and 14 were asked to reflect on their experience with Covid
- Then they had to draw how it made them think and feel at home.
- A child drew a distraught person tied to a bed and wrote ‘constrained’
- Dr Richard Jolley conducted a study with colleagues at Staffordshire University
An associate professor of psychology has revealed disturbing drawings by children of Covid lockdowns that show themes of death, loss, loneliness and restriction.
In a study conducted by Dr Richard Jolley and co-investigators Dr Sarah Rose, Dr Romina Vivaldi and Dr Claire Barlow, from Staffordshire University, 68 children between the ages of 4 and 14 were asked to reflect on their experience with Covid and draw how it was making them think and feel.
One child drew a distraught figure with all four limbs tied to what looks like a hospital bed and wrote ‘constrained’.
Another drew a personified Covid cell next to an upset picture of themselves and captioned it: “I think Covid is happy and has stolen my smile.”
In a study by Associate Professor Dr Richard Jolley and colleagues, 68 children were asked to reflect on their experience during the Covid lockdowns through a drawing. One boy drew a distraught figure with all four limbs tied to a bed and wrote “constrained.”
Another boy drew a personified Covid cell next to a picture of himself upset and captioned it: “I think Covid is happy and has stolen my smile.”
27 of the 68 children showed the theme of prohibited behavior in their art while 35 drew a person on their own.
Meanwhile, other common themes included furniture and buildings, while seven children featured death and loss at work.
Dr Jolley, who carried out the study with his colleagues, told MailOnline: ‘It really showed they knew what was going on.
“Unsurprisingly, they communicated what we were all thinking, in terms of our feelings and the breakup. [from] people, and what we couldn’t do [but also] what we could do.
“I think these drawings really reflected their own lives and what they thought they were dealing with and what they knew.”
This table shows the recurring themes that appeared when children were asked to draw their experiences during the Covid lockdowns. The most common topics were ‘Feelings and emotions’ and ‘A single person’
He added: “Particularly with the school closures, because I think three different time periods and of course the social restrictions of not being able to see friends outside of their home, clearly there’s going to be a significant impact on them emotionally.” [and] mentally.’
The study highlighted that the impacts of lockdowns on children included increased loneliness, reduced physical activity, and decreased mental well-being.
Dr. Jolley said it was important to give children a way to express themselves without having to make sense of things through language.
‘We really wanted to hear the voice of the children. Why did we want to hear it through images? Well, particularly for younger children, being able to draw what they’re feeling instead of trying to verbalize it. Keep in mind that we couldn’t see the children face to face, so it had to be done remotely,” she said.
The study highlighted that the impacts of lockdowns on children included increased loneliness, reduced physical activity, and decreased mental well-being.
This boy drew lonely silhouettes looking out the windows and personified the germs that surrounded a house.
Dr Jolley said: “I think these drawings really reflect their own lives and what they thought they were dealing with and what they knew.”
‘That drawing then presents them with an opportunity, and even for older children there is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. There is a long history in children’s drawings… and children communicate and express their feelings as well as their thoughts.’
Dr Jolley added: ‘This children’s event really touched their feelings.
‘They were prohibited, they were restricted, that is being noticed.
“The premise of the project was that this was an unprecedented event and a very long period for children, and we’ve never really had anything like it before.”
For more information about the project, Dr Jolley can be contacted by emailing r.jolley@staffs.ac.uk or by calling 01782294887.
Dr Jolley added: ‘This children’s event really touched their feelings. They were prohibited, they were restricted, that is coming to light’
Dr. Jolley said it was important to provide children with a means to express themselves without having to make sense of it through language. Some children added words to their drawings.
27 of the 68 children showed the theme of prohibited behavior in their art while 35 drew a person on their own.