I have a 10-year-old student who consistently draws pictures of people behind bars...?

Question

I have a 10-year-old student who consistently draws pictures of people behind bars. What might this represent and what should I do with this information?

Answer 1

cassually ask the students to draw a picture then come to your desk and ask them to briefly explain what they drew it could help just to talk to him .....dont jump to any comclusions tooo fast you dont want to get the wrong idea and"freak the kid out" you know what im sayin? let me know how it goes.please

Answer 2

Something they saw on TV maybe or a close family member might be in jail & it's there way of thinking about them...Ask who the people are? When you find out who these people are, work on drawing  them somewhere other than jail.

Answer 3

As a thirteen year old I can say two things. One, He could have some serious issues, or Two and more likely, you should be happy for him. sometimes we draw things that we need to express but don't know how. Maybe he has someone he knows in jail. maybe he feels like he's in a cell himself. thats how i feel when i dont get enough freedom, like im trapped in a little jail cell. ask him about it, but don't make it a big deal, just act like you would ask a good friend of yours. if he shakes you off, dont keep bugging him. make him feel like he can talk to you, and DO NOT call his parents if he A doesnt want you to or B doesn't seem to get worse. maybe he's just really artistic and you could be ruining a million dollar child ;)

Answer 4

what if you talk to him/her and ask ! Possibly talking to the students parents as well.

Answer 5

Maybe they aren't behind bars. Maybe they are babies in a crib.

Answer 6

He either feels helpless, or he feels that he has done something very wrong and has guilty feelings about it. Also, it is important to remember that he may not actually be guilty of anything, he just has to think that he is.

Answer 7

of course it represents his feelings of being locked in, held back, repressed. Ask him if he would like to talk about what is holding him or keeping him prisoner, and what would he draw if he wanted the person to be on the outside looking in, rather than the inside looking out... then to try drawing that. Then a discussion comparing them.

Answer 8

Ask the kid.

Answer 9

ask her/him who it is in the picture, speak to their family i imagine. They might have a family member in prison...or not..

Answer 10

maybe he thinks he is good at drawing bars. i know that whe ni was yoounger, every pic that i drew had clouds in it cuz i liked how i drew clouds. dont think much of it, if its really bothering you ask him, or ask his parents

Answer 11

maybe someone he knows is locked up. maybe he feels caged. maybe he get's put in cages. don't assume before talking w/ parents.

Answer 12

Our School  Dist.  has Counselors who will go to a specific school for a specific child w/parental consent. Your the teacher....I'm a counselor...Someone in her family (probably Dad) is in jail and she/ he  is stresses over it. Perhaps even more family members have been through the Justice System.I would talk to the child, tell her/him you like the art work...ask to explain the picture (carefully..and don't push).

If you find I am right..call the person who has custody tell them what you're feeling..and maybe counseling would help. You must be very cautious with this also, it's usually a child that feels alone,and has no one to talk to whom expresses their stresses in art. You could also, follow her/his art to see what else comes up.It could be she/he just has security bars on home windows.Use common sense/proceed w/caution, BUT, don't let go till you know!

Answer 13

tell there parents because it may be a problem at home

Answer 14

Maybe they have a family member in jail right now.  I know several kids who deal with parents in jail.  It may be their way of dealing with whoever is missing in their life.  The only thing I think you might do with the info is ask them do they know who are the people behind the bars.  (Privately) They may or may not want to talk about it.  For a 10 year old, having a loved one in jail can be very embarassing.  Everyday they see kids getting picked up by parents and their lives seem to be so much worse than other kids.  It's a tough and delicate situation.  I was raising my granddaughter while my daughter was doing drugs and going in and out of jail.  I saw how painful it was for her.  I appreciated that her teacher that year took a special interest in her and gave her extra attention.  The teacher was patient and understanding that sometimes it was more difficult for my granddaughter to focus on class because of things going on in her life that were out of her control.  One thing I learned during the ordeal is that a 10 year old can be more mature and forgiving than we can imagine.  So if you see an opportunity just ask them does their picture represent anyone in particular.  It could be that this kid just wants to be a cop someday.  Don't just assume the worst.

Answer 15

Maybe he is struggeling with something in his family, or maybe this shows that he feels trapped.. Confront him about it and maybe have him talk with the guidence counsler

Answer 16

ask him if one of his parents are in jail and comfort him

Answer 17

maybe they have a relative in jail

or they might possibly feel like they are being suppressed.

make sure you give your students opportunity enough to share their opinion, and give them little freedoms.

there is also the possibility that the child wants to be a cop when they grow older, maybe?

make sure you tell the child's parents.

and talk to the kid as well... ask questions, like what they want to be when they grow up, do they play at home, ect;

and ask the parents if they listen to him as much as they should be doing.

Answer 18

Perhaps s/he has a family member in jail.

Refer him/her to the guidance counselor or social worker.

Answer 19

1. MIght feel trapped

2. Might have parents/relitives/friends in jail

3. Enjoys just drawing stuff like that

4. Hes a weird little boy.

Answer 20

Get him a counselor

Answer 21

With kids it could be anything. Maybe he has feelings of being trapped or punished, or has unresolved anger towards certain individuals in his life? Try talking to him about his pictures and what he feels when he is drawing them; if you get him talking about his emotions, you might find out the reason.

It could also be as innocent as having seen a TV program, video game, comic, or read a book about imprisonment, but it would be better to talk to him and make sure something more serious isn't going on.

Answer 22

maybe he has a family member that is behind bars or maybe he feels that school is like prison.

Answer 23

He might have a family member that is behind bars and is thinking about that person and worrying about that person constantly.

Answer 24

he wants to be a policeman?

Answer 25

Maybe he has a family member in jail, or he thinks everyone belongs behind bars OR maybe theres chold abuse at home where he is contained in some ways? I would just watch him and maybe even just ask him. Hes your student.

Answer 26

check family ..background..  maybe someone this child.. loves is incarcerated.. or doing something illegal and child feels it is only a matter of time,.

Answer 27

Let his parents know! He might love to live behind bars.

Answer 28

It might symbolize he feels trapped in some sort of way. He might just want to escape or run away? I'm not sure.

Answer 29

You should bring it to the attention of the school counselor and possibly have an assessment done on the student.

Very interesting. If you find out anything please give us updates.

Answer 30

Abuse, pain, emotinal abuse, sexual abuse something

Answer 31

Ask his parents.