Emotional indicators in human figure drawings of sexually victimized and nonabused children

Abstract

A study was conducted to compare the presence of Koppitz' Emotional Indicators (EIs) and EI Categories in human figures drawn (HFDs) by alleged sexual abuse victims (ASA Vs) and nonabused children. We collected drawings from 65 ASA Vs and 64 comparison (presumably nonabused) subjects. No statistically significant differences in the presence of individual EIs were observed. Alleged sexual abuse victims tended to draw some indicators more often: "legs pressed together," "big hands," and "genitals." It also was observed that more "normal" children than expected drew some indicators, which suggests the possible need for revision of the definition of some indicators, specifically "omission of body." The ASA Vs more often scored an EI from the anxiety category (p = .05) than did comparison children. No significant differences in other categories were demonstrated. It was concluded that drawings from ASA Vs demonstrated anxiety more often than did drawings from comparison children, while specific indicators did not differ between groups.