After an introduction to the theories regarding the typical development of drawings by children and adolescents, initial principles for interpreting this non-professional art are developed. This is followed by a presentation of possible access methods for the artistic-symbolic material, ranging from cognitive theoretical to art scientific approaches. In the second part, these access methods are specified using drawings and image sequences of sexually abused individuals. The development of the image sequences is interpreted against the backdrop of biographical experiences. For the first time, the author also presents image sequences from sexually abused and exploited individuals, spanning from children's drawings to clinical forms of expression. A summary of the results, along with a practice-oriented interpretation model, concludes the presentation.