Why isn't there much research on art therapy in educational settings?!

Where is all the research?

Since my last post I have been curious to find out how and why I've discovered a lack of information when researching art therapy in education and children.

I chose to research art therapy in education/art therapy in working with children because my placement is going to be placed within a school environment. I felt this research would help me not only in my general art therapy knowledge but will support my choices made on placement, making my role on placement more valuable to my potential clients.

However, I feel lost in researching this topic as I have found limited sources. I'm finding it very interesting and somewhat eye opening in finding out about attachment theory however I would like to relate this directly with the art therapeutic setting but I'm yet to find this information.

In my anxiety of limited research this lead me onto questioning, 
'why isn't there this research?' 'Are there little art therapists in educational settings?'

My tutors have said during lectures that art therapy in education is a current, growing industry. Perhaps this is why?

I began to research this...
I found a great article published in Inscape, the art therapists organisation which
Citation:
Vassiliki Karkou (1999) Art therapy in education findings from a nationwide survey in arts therapies, Inscape: Formerly Inscape, 4:2, 62-70, DOI: 10.1080/17454839908413078

Karkou states that, 'there is a limited number of relevant studies and no empirically based information about the overall picture of AT in education', which backs up my difficulties in finding this information.
17% of Art therapists who were respondent to the survey claimed to have a working relationship in schools.

Graph illustrating the main working environments of art therapists according to Karkou's survey findings. Vassiliki Karkou (1999) Art therapy in education findings from a nationwide survey in arts therapies, Inscape: Formerly Inscape, 4:2, 62-70, DOI: 10.1080/17454839908413078

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am skeptical in using this information or relying upon this survey as the reason why I haven't found much information because I have to take into consideration of the date of the article/study, which was published in 2008. A study from 5 years ago has it's own difficulties in using this study today in 2013. Can it be trusted? Is it out of date? It cannot represent today's educational stance on art therapy since it is 5 years old but I feel I cannot ignore this information if there isn't anything to go by in 2013 or perhaps more recent.

To conclude I feel art therapists working in schools is growing and perhaps more current than say art therapists working in adult mental health, where I understand art therapists began. The fact that art therapy is particularly current and therefore new in educational settings makes me feel like a lot of new research can be done, which is great in the sense that once I qualify I have a chance of making an impact in research myself. This is a very exciting prospect! But on the other hand I need research now for my bibliography and almost wish there is more literature on the subject.