Bedouin—Arab Children Use Visual Art as a Response To the Destruction of Their Homes in Unrecognized Villages

This study examines the effects on BedouinArab children regarding the government policy to destroy houses in the unrecognized BedouinArab villages in the Negev of Israel. In this study, the BedouinArab children engaged in art and story-making activities. Their responses provide new perspectives on the effects of the destruction of their homes. The sample includes 19 participants, 11- to 14-year-old boys and girls from two unrecognized villages. They were asked to draw pictures of where they live, to write a story about their drawings, and to talk about them. Using descriptive analysis, the researchers systematically examine the drawings and stories. The findings reveal that the participants have experienced negative emotional and psychological effects because of the destruction of homes and the witnessing of the ongoing destruction in their under-resourced, unrecognized villages.