Pandemic, War, Flood… What do Children Draw when Asked about Fear?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/PCh.2026.007Keywords
pandemic, war, flood, fear-themed drawings, at younger school ageAbstract
The aim of the article is to present results of the qualitative research on fearthemed drawings, which was conducted in situations that impact the sense of safety in children, that is, during pandemics, a war or flooding. The research covered 162 children in total, aged between 7 and 12 years of Polish, Ukrainian, and Slovak nationality. The researchers intended to find answers to the following two questions: 1) What do children draw when asked about fear in the situation of pandemics, a war and flooding? and 2) What type of symbols are those of fear identified in children’s drawings? Consequently, the authors attempt to explain whether the recognized symbols represent fears typical of developmental stages or idiosyncratic ones, that is, connected with the specific contexts in which they arose. In conclusion, the authors attempt to interpret the obtained outcomes by making reference to the available research results provided by other authors.
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