Negative feelings and destructive behaviour expressed through art as part of art psychotherapy can help offenders to understand themselves better, according to Imke Wood. Psychotherapy is a known method to understand dangerous minds and art therapy is a successful method to air repressed or destructive emotions. Psychiatrists, academics, and police officers are discussing this new combined method during the 20th annual conference of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy. The aim is to discuss how this controversial therapy can help murderers and how to help them, not as much as how to punish them, but to help them, and others, to heal and to prevent other violent crimes.
Personal comment:
I am convinced that many crimes are the result of a troubled and difficult life, because the offender is scared early in life. To prevent serious crimes you need to get to the source. Help families who are experiencing difficulties raising their children. Make sure that child service is effective. Give children a good education, possibilities, and chances. I believe that is more effective that an art psychotherapy later in life. Art therapy can soothe a violent mind and make life in prison a bit more liveable, but I doubt if it is effective in the long run.
I have personally never thought about helping murderers, so I guess this is a new idea that makes me really wonder about what I think is important: punishment or healing. Do we have to help a murderer? I do also not believe that it is effective in the long run and I also wonder what the family of a victim feels about this idea..
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