Approaches that focus on the trauma itself or on the relationships are found to be more effective than more open-ended therapies such as art therapy or play therapy. I am guessing this is not the answer you were hoping for! Expressive therapies are incorporated into some broader modalities. If your goal is to learn how to help abused children, I recommend that you learn about Trauma Focused THerapies (including TF-CBT--but not only TF-CBT). If your goal is to practice art therapy--whether it is found to work with abused children or not--then you'll ignore the literatures.

It may be that art therapy is helpful with some abused children....but I have not seen literature demonstrating this.

There are some articles about using strengths-based approaches to child protection in early childhood which encourage teachers to use a range of resources/individual strategies (based on children's strengths) that focus on expressing feelings and emotions and fostering resilience - this can include art - but this is not specifically a social work intervention or art therapy as such.

Here's an announcement for an upcoming conference with people who are proponents of these expressive approaches:

http://www.cvent.com/events/2015-arts-in-healing-spring-institute/custom-38-649f8a3fd8a64e0a9b56043a52a936fb.aspx

Not wishing to step on toes, how about theses?  I would suggest that Uttley et al will be a good starting point.  However, the others will be useful to inform your approach.

Uttley, L., Scope, A., Stevenson, M., Rawdin, A., Taylor Buck, E., Sutton, A., Stevens, J., Kaltenthaler, E., Dent-Brown, K. & Wood, C. (2015). Systematic review and economic modelling of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of art therapy among people with non-psychotic mental health disorders, Health Technology Assessment 19(18):1-120

Baker, B. A. (2006). Art speaks in healing survivors of war: the use of art therapy in treating trauma survivors, Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma 12(1/2):183-98

Freeman, V. L. (2005). Balancing act. Between trauma and transformation: the alchemy of art therapy, Alternative Medicine Magazine (81):43-8

Naff, K. (2014). A Framework for Treating Cumulative Trauma with Art Therapy, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association 31(2):76-86

Hass-Cohen, N., Clyde Findlay, J., Carr, R. & Vanderlan, J. (2014). “Check, Change What You Need To Change and/or Keep What You Want”: An Art Therapy Neurobiological-Based Trauma Protocol, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association 31(2):69-78

Stace, S. M. (2014). Therapeutic Doll Making in Art Psychotherapy for Complex Trauma, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association 31(1):12-20

Atira Tan, L. (2012). Art therapy with trafficked women, Therapy Today 23(5):26-31

Hello Nichola,

For me, working with children assumes a developmentally appropriate approach.

Working with abused children forces the therapist to consider the state of the child's emotional development specifically.

Abuse in childhood interrupts emotional development. The therapeutic approach should focus on both processing the trauma and re-engaging emotional growth.

The emotional developmental agenda (Erikson) for late childhood includes developing and internalizing a sense of competence.

Creativity can be internalized as competence when it becomes a method of processing emotional content (symbolism). For example:

• For children, collage does not require much mastery. The child's effort to share why they chose this picture, is process.
• The completed project tells the story they wish t tell, and is validation of a competence with symbolism.
• A binder  that illustrates the journey allows us to revisit process when encouraging the next developmental task

I prefer creative approaches with children who have difficulty identifying feelings, but this approach also encourages verbalization.

I have also notice a high percentage of abused children that maintain a creative outlet (drawing poetry...)

It is also effective in a group format with abused adolescents, when encouraging identity development.

Just a thought