WHEN WORDS FAIL, CAN ART PROVIDE AN ANSWER ???

By Dr. Hans Guggeneheim

WHEN WORDS FAIL, CAN ART PROVIDE AN ANSWER ???

Yes, it has for thousands of years.

Whether by guns or by knives, in Connecticut or in China, violence against the defenseless has become routine, but even when it reaches a level of horror that forces the President of the United States to speak out, school administrators may decide to hide events from their students. We understand their desire not to frighten or to panic young children although we disagree with policy of not discussing horrific events such as the Newtown slayings in classrooms.  In our experience the only defense against fear is knowledge, and we believe that this holds true for any age and any level of understanding. Silence may lead to new disasters. On Dec.19 an incident was reported about an eleven year old at the West Kearns Elementary School in Fox Lake City, Utah  : "He pulled out a gun and he put it to my head — me and my friend — (and) said he was going to kill us," Isabelle Rios told KSL. "I told him I was going to tell, but he said “If you tell, I'm going to kill you.”

Young children may not easily find words to cope with traumatic events which may reach them in uncontrolled way through the social media or via older siblings and classmates.  Information about the death of kids their own age will be especially traumatic, and they may not have the courage to talk about their feelings.

We therefore urge teachers and even parents to discuss the problem of violence with their students or children and to provide them with paint and paper so that they can express their inner feelings, overcome the trauma, and face their future without anxiety.

If we at Projectguggenheim can be of any help to you in this task, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

To avoid having children make illustrations of violent killings, the goal of helping them work through such crises could be met by suggesting themes such as:

What makes you feel Safe?

What makes you feel strong?

What can you do to help others who may need your assistance?