Street children in Mexico and the intervention of Art Therapy as a psychosocial perspective and model of social action

Abstract

”˜No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of the friend’s or of thine own were: any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls, it tolls for thee’. (Hemingway 1940, p 4)

This paper will show that our profession is shaped by context, or in other words, the reality of the situations in which we find ourselves. As art therapists, we have a commitment to our social context and it is our duty to respond to any specific requirements. Nowadays we live in a global, economic recession whereby political conflicts are rife and natural disasters and world poverty are on the increase. This paper will describe the phenomenon known as 'street children', which is present in several countries around the world, with the main focus being on those in Mexico. It will also attempt to answer the following questions: why are there street children in Mexico and how is Art Therapy a relevant model of intervention?