Report: child abuse, neglect cases up 22%

The number of children reported abused or neglected in Mecklenburg County has spiked 22 percent, according to a new study released Wednesday.

Researchers found there were 12,232 reports of abuse or neglect between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009, some 2,200 more than during the same time span from 2004 to 2005.

Click here to read the full report.

The findings were presented this morning by leaders with UNC Charlotte's Urban Institute and the Council for Children's Rights.

Mirroring national trends, the study says children under the age of 5 are most likely to suffer abuse and neglect in Mecklenburg. Some 40 percent of the children who were reported as victims in 2008 to 2009 were younger than 5. -- Fred Clasen-Kelly