A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds in the United States, and more than 1,600 children die each year from abuse or neglect, an expert says.
Child abuse survivors can suffer long-term physical, emotional and psychological problems, said Dr. Mary Jones, a child advocacy physician with the Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Ill.
"The physical wounds heal, but research is showing that the effects on a child's social, emotional and future physical health is far more damaging than we once thought," Jones said in a Loyola news release.
Child abuse can be physical, sexual or emotional, and also includes neglect. Most victims experience a combination of these types. Recognizing the signs of abuse is the first step in helping an abused child.
"One of the major challenges in knowing when a child is suffering maltreatment is that the child rarely discloses to anyone that the abuse is occurring," Jones said.
[For more of this story go to http://consumer.healthday.com/...ld-abuse-698242.html]
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