Arts-Based Socio-Educational Intervention in Residential Settings: A Grounded Theory Study with Unaccompanied Migrant Children Using Graphic Narratives

Abstract

Unaccompanied migrant children in residential settings face complex psychosocial challenges stemming from structural instability, linguistic diversity, and fragmented migration trajectories. Within this framework, it is necessary to develop applied interventions that promote emotional expression, social inclusion, and identity reconstruction. This study analyzes a socio-educational intervention program based on arts-based methodologies and graphic narratives, implemented in reception centers in Spain. The study adopts a multi-method qualitative design, grounded in constructivist grounded theory, integrating visual productions, semi-structured interviews, and observational records. The analysis identifies key processes through which artistic mediation operates in these contexts, including adaptive engagement under conditions of instability, emotional articulation through visual resources, the symbolic reconstruction of migration trajectories, and the emergence of forms of situated agency that lead to collective recognition. The findings highlight the role of arts-based methodologies as relational and process-oriented tools within protection systems, transcending their merely expressive function. The study proposes a theoretical model that integrates structural conditions, mediation processes, and psychosocial outcomes, offering relevant implications for the design, implementation, and evaluation of socio-educational programs.