Children’s perceptions of animals in animal assisted interventions: a thematic synthesis

Abstract

ABSTRACT There is growing interest in the animal assisted intervention (AAI) field to identify how participants benefit from their interaction with animals in these services. Although children frequently participate in these interventions, rarely have they been actively involved in research to explore how they experience the presence of an animal in AAI. This thematic synthesis pulls the few qualitative studies available that directly ask children who struggle with social and emotional difficulties abour their perception of their interactions with animals. Through the analysis of the findings of these studeis, a conceptual model is developed that identifies potential mechanisms that may influence the formation of a relationship between children and animals in AAI.