A Parent Guide for Selecting Youth Serving Organizations

Keeping children safe is the responsibility of adults! You would not allow your child to play on broken playground equipment, ride in a car without a seatbelt or child seat, or have access to poisonous substances. However, one survey showed that fewer than 30% of parents take proactive steps to protect their children from sexual abuse. Most adults simply do not know how!

Realities—not trust—should influence your decisions regarding children.

Did you know?
– In more than 90% of sexual abuse case the child knows the abuser.
– Nearly 40% of children that are sexually abused are abused by older or larger children.
– People who abuse children look and act just like everyone else.

Clubs, Sports Leagues and Youth Groups Are Important For Children

Participation in sports, camps, music lessons and children’s clubs is important and healthy for a child. However, without certain policies and procedures, these organizations can inadvertently provide an opportunity for a pedophile to molest children. You’ve seen the headlines – you know it’s true!

To protect your child make sure your youth-serving programs require comprehensive screening of staff and volunteers, have one-child one-adult policies and teach reporting procedures to all staff and volunteers.

Your child’s protection should be a priority for any organization that serves children.

Protect Your Child Ask Questions!

Ask organizations that care for your child these questions – and insist on training!

– Do you check personal and professional references for staff and volunteers?
– Do you do criminal background and abuse/neglect registry checks?
– Do you train all employees and volunteers on sexual abuse prevention
and response?
– What is your policy about one-one time between adults and children?
– What do you do to make sure that all adult-child contact is observable and interruptible?