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Concord University hosts conference to prevent child abuse

Child abuse is the number one killer of children in America, but according to the U.S Department of Justice, only about one in three is reported to authorities.

Social workers and other professionals who work with children gathered Wednesday at Concord University to learn more about recognizing and responding to child abuse.

It has long been reported that most abusive parents or guardians were at one time abused themselves, but disturbing new trends indicate that more children than we realize are being victimized.

"We are also talking a lot today about how children experience abuse, the emotional effect, and also the neurological and the brain development of a child who has been abused and how that is different from a child who is not abused," says Shiloh Woodard from Child Protective Services of Mercer County.

National statistics indicate that more then half of all sexually abused children in the United States are under twelve years of age.