Drawing up boundaries: a technique

What is it about?

This is a way to get an idea about how children see the relationships in their family - who is allied with whom, who goes out on a limb, who is seen as clinging to other family members. Children like the idea of drawing their family in action. I used the technique to see how families altered allegiances when someone became ill as part of my doctoral thesis for Cambridge University.

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Why is it important?

Whether you work in child health, social services, health stations, or similar it is always useful to move the focus from the individual to the social dynamics of their close relationships. We are social animals, and our relationships shape the way we behave, and maintain our habits. This technique is simple and cheap to use and empowers children to convey their world without recourse to words.

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