The NSPCC says that cases of child abuse and neglect are still alarmingly high across the North East and Cumbria, and more needs to be done to protect children.
It says it is time to change the emphasis from dealing with abuse, to preventing it in the first place.
Watch the full report from Dan Ashby below.
Figures released by the NSPCC have shown that children across the North East are still being abused and neglected.
In 2011 and 2012 nearly 4000 children from the region were put on the protection register, but the charitiy estimates that many more could be in need.
The NSPCC says that the answer is to help children earlier.
Figures obtained by the NSPCC have revealed that 366 young people in the North East have committed acts of child sex abuse.
The charity found that nationally there were more than 5,000 cases reported to the police in the last three years.
Nearly all (98%) of the 4,562 offenders were boys and at least three out of five of the victims knew their abuser.
– Claire Lilley, NSPCCWhile more research needs to be done on this problem, we know that technology and easy access to sexual material is warping young people's views of what is 'normal' or acceptable behaviour.
We are treating an increasing number of children who have carried out online grooming, harassment in chatrooms and 'sexting'.
Children who are sexually abusive have often been victims of abuse, harm and trauma themselves. Exposure to this can make them think abusing someone or being sexually violent is ok.
Claire Lilley, policy adviser at the NSPCC, said she hoped the findings would ring "alarm bells" with authorities that the problem required urgent action.
While more research needs to be done on this problem, we know that technology and easy access to sexual material is warping young people's views of what is 'normal' or acceptable behaviour.
We are treating an increasing number of children who have carried out online grooming, harassment in chatrooms and 'sexting'.
Children who are sexually abusive have often been victims of abuse, harm and trauma themselves. Exposure to this can make them think abusing someone or being sexually violent is ok.
The NSPCC obtained the statistics through Freedom of Information requests to each of the 43 police forces in England and Wales.
But only 34 forces supplied figures - revealing a total of 5,028 offences - so the true number of offences is likely to be higher, the NSPCC said.
A teenage singer from Whitley Bay has just released her debut single ' Concrete Angel' on iTunes. Shauna Gallon won the opportunity to release a track when she came first in a talent competition called Teenage Kicks back in 2011. All proceeds are going to the NSPCC.
Alan Shearer speaks to ITV Tyne Tees about the new ChildLine campaign.
A teenager who has suffered years of abuse at the hands of cyberbullies has spoken out to try and help others in the same situation
Read the full story
Alan Shearer OBE is launching a new ChildLine Schools Service in the region that aims to help local primary school children to understand abuse and how they can stay safe.
The ChildLine service is aiming to visit every primary school in the North East by 2016, and is entirely run by volunteers.
Volunteers will be going into primary schools to deliver assemblies and workshops that they hope will encourage children to recognise situations where they may need help, and let them know where they can get support if they need it.
Alan Shearer is helping launch a new Childline service in the North East that will teach children about abuse and how they can stay safe. NSPCC volunteers aim to deliver assemblies and hold workshops in every primary school in the area by 2016.
Paula Telford from the NSPCC in Newcastle believes there are many reasons why the number of cases of child neglect being reported rose last year.
She believes that people are feeling more confident about reporting what they see or hear and wants to encourage more people to use the help lines.
She said: "Ringing the help line doesn't mean the family concerned will automatically be referred on to the police or child services. It may be we can help the family in other ways.
"Most parents want to look after their children properly but just need a helping hand."
