April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month.

April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. Child Abuse continues to be a difficult issue facing families and rates of abuse increase in times of economic hardship and social stress. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls will experience some form of sexual abuse before the age of 18. Play Therapy is an effective treatment to support child victims of abuse and its effectiveness is described in the Association for Play Therapy's article: Why Play Therapy is Appropriate for Children with Symptoms of PTSD.  Play Therapists can support children in processing their abuse experiences and support families in resiliently navigating trauma's impact. Play Therapists protect children by providing developmentally appropriate psychoeducation on safety and empowering children to tell their story.