Are background checks really necessary?
Parents enroll their children in a league or team fully expecting that they will be safe from harm. Conducting a CBC is one of several actions that youth administrators must take to protect their participants from abuse. To be effective, a CBC must be conducted before the volunteer is permitted to associate with children and must be done annually on all volunteers regardless of their position or the number of years they have been involved in the league. Background checks are vital to the safety of our children. Recent studies indicate that one of three girls and one of six boys will be subjected to sexual abuse by age 18. These studies also suggest that 46% of child molesters are non-family members who are known to their victims. These are ‘trusted’ adults that include coaches. Parents have the undeniable right to know that if any adult has a relevant criminal history, he or she will be prevented from coaching their children.
