Families in the USA are soaking up the remainder of the summer as retail stores stock their shelves with back to school supplies. When the summer vacation for kids across the country ends that means back to school. Once school begins so does after school programs like sports, theatre and other extra curricula activities. This is why it should be paramount that all volunteers involved with after-school activities undergo a thorough and vigorous background screening including a comprehensive criminal background check.
It is believed that if all potential coaches, instructors, and related volunteers are aware of a pending background check as part of becoming an employee or volunteer that the actual background check itself will act as a barrier to entry for potential predators and malfeasant individuals. In essence these kind of people may think twice or forgo completely their application for a full-time, part-time or volunteer position if they know that a comprehensive background check will be performed on them.
Of course conducting a thorough background screening that includes a criminal background records search and sex offender registry check should weed out the potential volunteers with past offenses that could prove harmful to the youth if committed again. This is especially true with sex offenders that are looking to repeat their crimes.
Recent history shows that people working as volunteers can also have a history of committing crimes against children.
In Carmel, Indiana a volunteer swim coach was recently arrested for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. FOX59 from Indianapolis covered the story:
“An assistant swim coach at Carmel High School faces federal charges after prosecutors say he had sex with one of his athletes.
… is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography. U.S. Marshals took him into custody Tuesday. A detention hearing was set for July 10.” fox59.com/2018/07/05/carmel-assistant-swim-coach-accused-of-having-sex-with-student-athlete-faces-federal-charges/
As school commences after-school programs will start as well and offer a broad spectrum of activities: From athletics to art programs volunteers will be the primary engines of these activities.
As kids return to school and participate in after-school sports or arts programs thousands of volunteers will work as coaches, instructors, or a myriad of other occupations. In order to keep at-risk populations as safe as possible, all volunteers should pass a vigorous background check.
A recent article on AZFamily.com provides some horrifying detail regarding the potential of predators interacting with children.
One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18.
“Child sexual predators are looking for places where they have easy access to children,” … said.
And that’s just one reason she says anyone working with kids needs a background check. azfamily.com/story/36790644/who-is-coaching-your-kids
A comprehensive background check needs to cover a variety of areas of an individual’s past. Criminal Background History, National Criminal Records Check, Driving Record Search (if applicable), SSN Validation with Address History Trace and other relevant activities like reference checks and verifications in order to gain a full picture of an applicant.
Recently, a school district engaged a convicted felon working as a volunteer. When parents discovered the volunteer’s past their outrage prompted concern regarding the school districts background screening policy.
From IslandPacket.com (Jun 12, 18):
They’re raising questions about the district’s system for checking the backgrounds of volunteers — which the district says was upgraded years ago after former volunteers, some with questionable backgrounds, faced legal trouble — and the level to which the schools and district investigate volunteers before allowing them to work with students. islandpacket.com/news/local/education/article212951359.html
A best practice for any organization or institution utilizing volunteers is to conduct the most comprehensive background screening possible, as well as working with a well-qualified third-party employment screening agency.
Any after school program or activity that allows for interaction with children, an at-risk-population, must ensure that all the adults involved whether employees or volunteers undergo a proper vetting process including thorough background checks that query the national sex offender registry and criminal court conviction records.
If all such employees and volunteers that have unsupervised time with children underwent a full and comprehensive background check this could greatly reduce the chances of recidivism and may assist in protecting this at-risk segment of the US population.
To read more about why volunteers with access to children should be thoroughly background checked including a 50-State sex offender search and national criminal background check before being approved for such a position read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release: Volunteers Should Always Pass a Vigorous Background Check; Opines CriminalBackgroundRecords.com