WASHINGTON — On a long, low shelf at Safe Shores in downtown Washington, colorful figurines of wild animals, army soldiers, a winged dragon and an angel appear to be the toy collection of an overly neat child.
It's the "sand tray room," where young survivors of sexual assault arrange figures in a tray of sand to tell stories about their experiences, often, too difficult to put into words.
One 10-year-old girl, abused by her father, remained silent through five sessions of therapy. Only after arranging figures in the sand tray, creating a tableau depicting a child separated from adults by a bridge, did she open up and talk at length.
"We've used sand play in this field for about 25 years," remarked Lisa Dominguez, director of clinical services at Safe Shores, one of 854 children's advocacy centers located across the nation.
One out of every 10 Americans will suffer sexual abuse, involving physical contact, before turning 18 years old. An astonishing 90 percent of child victims personally know their abuser. Of those offenders, approximately 30 percent are family members — a tragic statistic that climbs to 50 percent when you look at who perpetrates abuse against children under age 6.
To read the full article written by Eleanor Kennelly Gaetan click HERE
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